Bug FAQPolished Bark Beetle
Xyloterinus politus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Curculionidae
Source: Wikipedia
Adult Polished Bark Beetles are tiny, measuring about 2.3 to 3.5 mm long, and have rufous-brown wing covers covered in yellowish bristles. They develop inside recently fallen or cut timber, where larvae feed on fungal mycelia and spores before emerging as adults that can infest a wide range of hardwood and softwood trees. The species is native to eastern North America, occurring in both Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Their elytra are a rufous brown color and are covered with a felting of yellowish bristles.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure between 2.3 and 3.5 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It is present throughout Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They infest both hardwood and softwood trees, especially recently fallen or cut timber. Host trees include maple, alder, birch, hickory, chestnut, beech, ash, spruce, pine, oak, hemlock, and elm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Newly emerged adults re-enter the galleries to feed on the ambrosial fungal growth.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae develop for about 19 days before pupating.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The beetle is native to eastern North America, found in Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 19 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Michigan, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, New York, Minnesota.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
What trees does the Polished Bark Beetle damage?
It attacks a variety of hardwood and softwood trees such as maple, oak, pine, and spruce.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Polished Bark Beetle found?
It is native to eastern North America, occurring in both Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae of this beetle eat?
The larvae feed on fungal mycelia and spores inside the wood.
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/Xyloterinus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.