Bostrichidae
Guides
Amphicerus
horned powder-post beetles
Amphicerus is a genus of horned powder-post beetles in the family Bostrichidae, established by LeConte in 1861. The genus comprises approximately 14 described species. Members are wood-boring beetles, with at least some species associated with woody plants including grapevines and pomegranates. The genus has been documented as a host for parasitoid wasps in the subfamily Doryctinae (Braconidae).
Amphicerus bimaculatus
grape cane borer beetle, horned powder-post beetle
Amphicerus bimaculatus is a horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, commonly known as the grape cane borer beetle. The species has been documented in Africa, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. In Syria, it has been observed inhabiting pomegranate trees, where it serves as a host for parasitoid wasps in the family Braconidae (subfamily Doryctinae).
Amphicerus simplex
horned powder-post beetle
Amphicerus simplex is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae. The species is known from North America. As a member of the Bostrichidae family, it is associated with wood-boring habits typical of the group. It was described by Horn in 1885.
Amphicerus teres
horned powder-post beetle
Amphicerus teres is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae. The species was described by Horn in 1878. It is known from North America. The common name "powder-post beetle" refers to the larval habit of boring into wood and reducing it to a fine, powdery frass.
Apatides
horned powder-post beetles
Apatides is a genus of beetles in the family Bostrichidae, commonly referred to as horned powder-post beetles. The genus was established by Casey in 1898 and contains at least four described species, including Apatides fortis, A. pollens, A. puncticeps, and A. robustus. Members of this genus are wood-boring beetles that have been documented in western Texas and neighboring regions, where they are attracted to ultraviolet light sources.
Apatides fortis
Apatides fortis is a species of bostrichid beetle (family Bostrichidae), a group commonly known as false powderpost beetles or branch borers. The species was described by LeConte in 1866 and occurs in North America. Based on field observations, adults have been attracted to ultraviolet light at night in sand dune habitats of western Texas. The genus Apatides includes wood-boring beetles whose larvae typically develop in dead or dying woody material.
Bostrichinae
horned powder-post beetles
Bostrichinae is a subfamily of powderpost beetles in the family Bostrichidae, commonly referred to as horned powder-post beetles. The subfamily contains more than 60 genera and over 500 described species. Members are primarily wood-boring beetles, with some species serving as hosts for parasitoid wasps. The group has been documented across multiple continents including records from Panama and Turkey.
Dendrobiella
horned powder-post beetles
Dendrobiella is a genus of horned powder-post beetles in the family Bostrichidae, established by Casey in 1898. The genus contains approximately seven described species distributed primarily in North and Central America. Members of this genus are wood-boring beetles associated with dead or dying woody vegetation.
Dendrobiella aspera
horned powder-post beetle
Dendrobiella aspera is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae. The species is found in Central America and North America. Like other members of the powder-post beetle family, it is associated with wood-boring habits, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented in available literature.
Dendrobiella sericans
Four-toothed Texas Bostrichid
Dendrobiella sericans is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae. It is distributed across Central America and North America. The species belongs to a group of wood-boring beetles commonly known as false powderpost beetles, which are characterized by their association with dead or dying wood.
Dinapate
giant palm borer
Dinapate is a genus of beetles in the family Bostrichidae, native to North America. The genus includes Dinapate wrightii, known as the giant palm borer, which has been documented as a pest of native desert palms in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Records indicate association with palm oases in arid regions.
Dinapate wrightii
Giant Palm Borer
Dinapate wrightii, the Giant Palm Borer, is the largest species in the beetle family Bostrichidae, reaching approximately 5 cm in length. Adults are non-feeding and live about two weeks. The species is native to extreme southern California and Baja California Sur, Mexico, with most records from the Coachella Valley. It is a pest of fan palms, particularly Washingtonia species.
Dinoderinae
Dinoderinae is a subfamily of wood-boring beetles within the family Bostrichidae, established by C. G. Thomson in 1863. The subfamily contains five to seven genera of beetles that live in wood, with some species recognized as pests of stored wood-based products and other stored goods. Members are characterized by their association with woody substrates and their economic significance in certain contexts.
Endecatomus rugosus
Endecatomus rugosus is a small beetle species in the family Bostrichidae (formerly placed in Endecatomidae). The species was first described by Randall in 1838 under the basionym Triphyllus rugosus. It is known from North America with records from Canada (Manitoba, New Brunswick) and the United States. The genus Endecatomus comprises wood-boring beetles, and the specific epithet rugosus refers to the wrinkled or rough surface texture characteristic of this group.
Heterobostrychus
horned powder post beetles
A genus of wood-boring beetles in the family Bostrichidae, comprising six described species. Members are known for infesting timber, processed wood products, and certain crop plants. The genus has significant economic importance due to damage caused to lumber, furniture, and agricultural commodities. Several species have been introduced beyond their native ranges through international trade in wood products.
Heterobostrychus aequalis
oriental wood borer, lesser auger beetle, oriental bostrichid
Heterobostrychus aequalis is a horned powder-post beetle (family Bostrichidae) and serious pest of seasoned hardwood timber. Native to tropical and subtropical Asia, it has been introduced to multiple continents including North America, Australia, Africa, and Oceania. The species attacks starch-rich sapwood of timber and wood products, often remaining undetected until emergence holes and frass appear. In Florida, it has been intercepted at ports and is now established in the wild. In Australia, its establishment status remains ambiguous despite multiple detections, with evidence suggesting at most a tenuous local population in northern Queensland rather than widespread establishment.
Heterobostrychus hamatipennis
Chinese auger beetle
Heterobostrychus hamatipennis, commonly known as the Chinese auger beetle, is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae. It has a notably broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents including Africa, Europe, Northern Asia, North America, and Southern Asia. The species was first described by Lesne in 1895 under the basionym Bostrychus hamatipennis.
Lichenophanes
horned powder-post beetles
Lichenophanes is a genus of horned powder-post beetles in the family Bostrichidae, established by Lesne in 1899. The genus contains more than 40 described species distributed across the Palaearctic, Oriental, and Nearctic regions. Species are nocturnal wood-borers that develop in dead hardwood trees during initial stages of fungal decomposition. Adults are attracted to artificial light and possess cryptic coloration that camouflages them in bark cracks during daylight hours.
Lichenophanes armiger
horned powder-post beetle
Lichenophanes armiger is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae. It is native to North America, with records from Canada (Manitoba, Ontario) and the United States. As a member of the Bostrichidae, it belongs to a group of wood-boring beetles commonly known as false powderpost beetles or horned powderpost beetles.
Lichenophanes californicus
horned powder-post beetle
Lichenophanes californicus is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, first described by Horn in 1878. The species is found in North America. Like other members of the genus Lichenophanes, it is characterized by horn-like projections on the head. The family Bostrichidae includes wood-boring beetles, many of which are known for their ability to damage seasoned wood and wooden structures.
Lichenophanes fasciculatus
horned powder-post beetle
Lichenophanes fasciculatus is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae. It is found in North America. As a member of the Bostrichidae, it belongs to a group of beetles commonly known as powder-post or false powder-post beetles, many of which are associated with wood-boring habits.
Lichenophanes mutchleri
Lichenophanes mutchleri is a beetle species in the family Bostrichidae, described by Belkin in 1940. It is currently treated as a synonym of Lichenophanes angustus. The species is known from North America and has been documented in at least nine observations on iNaturalist. As a member of the Bostrichidae, it belongs to a family commonly known as false powderpost beetles or horned powderpost beetles, which are wood-boring beetles often associated with dead or dying wood.
Lyctinae
Powderpost beetles, Powder-post beetles
Lyctinae (powderpost beetles) is a subfamily of approximately 70 species of woodboring beetles within the family Bostrichidae. Members are distinguished by their reduced prothorax, which leaves the head more visible than in most woodboring beetles, and by antennal clubs with two segments. The subfamily includes three tribes—Lyctini, Trogoxylini, and Cephalotomini (the latter now synonymized with Trogoxylini)—and occurs worldwide. Some genera exhibit unusual ecological strategies, including the use of galleries created by other beetles rather than excavating their own.
Lyctus africanus
African powderpost beetle
Lyctus africanus is a wood-boring beetle in the family Bostrichidae, commonly known as the African powderpost beetle. The species is recognized as a significant invasive pest of dry wood, causing damage by converting wood into powdery frass through larval feeding. It has established populations across multiple continents including its native Africa, Europe, North America, and Southern Asia. Recent detections in Italy represent its expanding range in the Mediterranean region facilitated by climatic conditions.
Lyctus caribeanus
Lyctus caribeanus is a powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, first described by Lesne in 1931. The species is known from the Caribbean, Central America, and North America. As a member of the genus Lyctus, it belongs to a group of beetles associated with wood degradation. Specific biological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Lyctus cavicollis
shiny powderpost beetle, western lyctus beetle
Lyctus cavicollis is a species of powderpost beetle in the family Bostrichidae. Commonly known as the shiny powderpost beetle or western lyctus beetle, it occurs across Australia, Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. The species is part of a genus known for infesting and damaging seasoned hardwoods.
Lyctus opaculus
powder-post beetle
Lyctus opaculus is a powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae. It occurs in North America, with records from Canada (Ontario and Québec) and the United States. The species belongs to a genus whose members are known for infesting seasoned hardwoods.
Lyctus villosus
Lyctus villosus is a species of powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, described by Lesne in 1911. The species has a broad geographic distribution spanning the Caribbean, Central America, North America, Oceania, and South America. As a member of the powder-post beetle group, it is associated with wood-boring habits, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Micrapate
horned powder-post beetles
Micrapate is a genus of beetles in the family Bostrichidae, commonly known as horned powder-post beetles. The genus was established by Casey in 1898 and contains at least 40 described species. Members are found in various regions including the Neotropics, with at least one species documented from the cerrado savanna biome of Brazil.
Micrapate bilobata
horned powder-post beetle
Micrapate bilobata is a species of powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, first described by Fisher in 1950. It is characterized by horn-like projections on the head, a trait common among male bostrichids. The species is found in North America. As with other members of its family, it is associated with wood-boring habits.
Micrapate cristicauda
horned powder-post beetle
Micrapate cristicauda is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae. The species was described by Casey in 1898 and is known from North America. Like other members of Bostrichidae, it is a wood-boring beetle. Very few observations of this species have been documented.
Minthea
tropical powderpost beetles
Minthea is a genus of tropical powderpost beetles in the family Bostrichidae, established by Pascoe in 1863. The genus comprises approximately eight described species distributed in tropical regions. Members of this genus are wood-boring beetles that infest dry wood, contributing to their classification as powderpost beetles alongside related genera in the subfamily Lyctinae.
Monolexis fuscicornis
Monolexis fuscicornis is a parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, subfamily Doryctinae. It has been documented as a larva-pupa parasitoid of the wood-boring beetle Trogoxylon impressum, a pest of fig plants in Turkey. The species represents a potentially significant biological control agent for managing bostrichid beetle infestations in agricultural settings.
Polycaon stoutii
Stout's branch borer, black polycaon, Stout's Hardwood Borer
Polycaon stoutii is a woodboring beetle in the family Bostrichidae. Adults are cylindrical, hairy, and black, measuring 10-23 mm. The species is native to western North America but has been introduced to other regions through wood commerce. It is known for exceptionally long larval development periods and occasional emergence from finished wood products.
Prostephanus apax
horned powder-post beetle
Prostephanus apax is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, first described by Lesne in 1930. It belongs to the same genus as the economically significant larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncatus), but is considerably less studied. The species is native to Central America and North America. Unlike its congener P. truncatus, P. apax has not been documented as a major pest of stored products.
Prostephanus arizonicus
horned powder-post beetle
Prostephanus arizonicus is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, described by Fisher in 1950. It belongs to a genus that includes economically significant stored-product pests, most notably the larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncatus). The species is documented from North America, with the specific epithet suggesting an association with Arizona. Like other members of the genus, it likely exhibits wood-boring habits typical of Bostrichidae, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Prostephanus punctatus
horned powder-post beetle
Prostephanus punctatus is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae. It is native to North America and has been recorded from Canada (Nova Scotia, Ontario) and the United States. The genus Prostephanus includes other species known for their association with stored products and wood-boring habits, though specific ecological details for P. punctatus remain limited in published literature.
Prostephanus truncatus
Larger Grain Borer, Greater Grain Borer
Prostephanus truncatus, commonly known as the larger grain borer or greater grain borer, is a highly destructive beetle in the family Bostrichidae. Native to Mexico and Central America where it evolved as a wood-boring insect, it adapted to become a major pest of stored maize. The species was accidentally introduced to Tanzania, Africa in the late 1970s and subsequently spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa, where it additionally adapted to cassava as an alternate host. Populations can destroy up to 40% of stored maize in three months and cause estimated losses of 52-74% of stored cassava. Climate modeling indicates potential for further range expansion into the southern United States, South America, and tropical Asia.
Psoa
Psoa is a genus of bostrichid beetles comprising approximately five described species. Members are distributed across Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. The genus was established by Herbst in 1797 with Psoa viennensis as the type species. Species in this genus are wood-boring beetles associated with dead or dying wood.
Psoa maculata
horned powder-post beetle
Psoa maculata is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae. It is native to North America. As a member of the Bostrichidae, it is likely associated with wood-boring habits, though specific biological details remain poorly documented in available literature.
Rhyzopertha
Grain-borers
Rhyzopertha is a monotypic genus of beetles in the family Bostrichidae (false powderpost beetles). The sole species, Rhyzopertha dominica, is commonly known as the lesser grain borer and is a major worldwide pest of stored cereal grains and peanuts. The genus is characterized by its cylindrical body form and association with dry stored products.
Rhyzopertha dominica
Lesser Grain Borer, American Wheat Weevil, Australian Wheat Weevil, Stored Grain Borer
Rhyzopertha dominica, the lesser grain borer, is a monotypic species in the family Bostrichidae and one of the most destructive pests of stored cereal grains worldwide. It is particularly damaging to wheat, but also infests corn, rice, sorghum, peanuts, and other stored products. The beetle is known for its ability to bore directly into intact kernels, causing both quantitative weight loss and qualitative degradation through contamination. Its global distribution in grain storage facilities makes it a major target of integrated pest management programs, with populations showing increasing resistance to phosphine fumigants and other chemical controls.
Scobicia
horned powder-post beetles
Scobicia is a genus of wood-boring beetles in the family Bostrichidae, containing approximately 11 described species. Members are small beetles, with adults of at least one species measuring 3.3–4.5 mm in length. The genus is placed in the tribe Xyloperthini and is distributed across southern Europe, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East. At least some species are pests of dead or felled timber, creating extensive tunnel systems in stored wood.
Scobicia arizonica
horned powder-post beetle
Scobicia arizonica is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, first described by Lesne in 1907. It is one of the powder-post beetles, a group known for their ability to reduce seasoned wood to a fine powder. The species is found in North America, with records from the southwestern United States including Arizona.
Scobicia bidentata
horned powder-post beetle
Scobicia bidentata is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, first described by Horn in 1878. The species is distributed across North America, with records from Canada and the United States. Like other members of its family, it is associated with wood-boring habits. The specific epithet "bidentata" refers to a two-toothed characteristic, likely describing a morphological feature of the species.
Scobicia chevrieri
horned powder-post beetle
Scobicia chevrieri is a small wood-boring beetle in the family Bostrichidae. Adults measure 3.3–4.5 mm in length and 1.2–1.5 mm in width. The species is a pest of cut and stored wood, creating galleries that cause severe interior deterioration of branches. It has been recorded across the Mediterranean region, North Africa, the Middle East, and introduced to North America.
Sinoxylon
Sinoxylon is a genus of wood-boring beetles in the family Bostrichidae, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania. Species in this genus are associated with diverse host plants including bamboo, rubber, cassava, and allspice. Several species have been introduced to new regions through international trade in wood packaging materials, with documented establishment in Greece and Brazil.
Sinoxylon anale
horned powder-post beetle, auger beetle
Sinoxylon anale is a wood-boring beetle in the family Bostrichidae, commonly known as horned powder-post beetles or auger beetles. The species has a broad intercontinental distribution spanning Australia, North America, Southern Asia, and Europe. It develops in dead or dying woody material and has been recorded as a pest in agricultural and nursery settings. Recent studies have documented its establishment in Brazil and first record in Greece, with expanding host associations including allspice, jabuticaba, and various native and exotic woody plants.
Stephanopachys
horned powder-post beetles
Stephanopachys is a genus of horned powder-post beetles (family Bostrichidae) comprising more than 20 described species. The genus was established by Waterhouse in 1888. Members are saproxylic beetles associated with wood decomposition, with at least one species (S. linearis) exhibiting pyrophilous behavior and conservation concern in Europe.
Stephanopachys asperulus
horned powder-post beetle
Stephanopachys asperulus is a small beetle in the family Bostrichidae, commonly referred to as a horned powder-post beetle. It is native to North America. As a member of the Bostrichidae family, it is associated with wood-boring habits, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited in published literature.