Bug FAQElm Bark Beetle
Scolytus multistriatus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Curculionidae
Also called: Dutch elm disease beetle, European elm bark beetle, Small Elm Bark Beetle, smaller European elm bark beetle
Source: Wikipedia
The European elm bark beetle (Scolytus multistriatus) is a small bark beetle that can carry the fungus Ophiostoma ulmi, the cause of Dutch elm disease. It is less effective at spreading the disease than the larger elm bark beetle, S. scolytus, and it uses the chemicals vanillin and syringaldehyde to locate suitable elm hosts for laying eggs.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It spreads the Dutch elm disease fungus, Ophiostoma ulmi, to elm trees.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It detects vanillin and syringaldehyde to find elm trees when it is ready to lay eggs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with the larger elm bark beetle, S. scolytus.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Kansas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Indiana, Texas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How does this beetle find elm trees?
It uses the scent chemicals vanillin and syringaldehyde to locate suitable elm hosts for egg laying.
Source: Wikipedia
What disease does it spread?
It carries Ophiostoma ulmi, the fungus that causes Dutch elm disease.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it as dangerous as the large elm bark beetle?
It spreads Dutch elm disease but is less effective at doing so than the larger elm bark beetle, S. scolytus.
Source: Wikipedia
Can I mistake it for another beetle?
Yes, it looks similar to the larger elm bark beetle, S. scolytus.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Curculionidae)
Green Immigrant Leaf WeevilPolydrusus formosusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Black Vine WeevilOtiorhynchus sulcatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Nettle weevilPhyllobius pomaceusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Asian Oak WeevilCyrtepistomus castaneusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Strawberry Root WeevilOtiorhynchus ovatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common Leaf WeevilPhyllobius pyriDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scolytus_multistriatus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.