Bug FAQSouthern Pine Beetle
Dendroctonus frontalis · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Curculionidae
Source: Wikipedia
It attacks many pine species, creating large infestations that have destroyed extensive pine forests in the southeastern and newly invaded northeastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its exoskeleton ranges from reddish-brown to black. Males have a notched front of the head, while females show a wide raised ridge across the head; both sexes have a round hind abdomen.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults are about 3 mm long, similar in size to a grain of rice.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
In the northeastern United States it is an invasive species that has destroyed massive amounts of pine forest. In the southeastern United States it is a major cause of economic loss in forestry.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in several species of pine trees.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Females bore into the inner bark, cutting off the tree’s food supply and creating spaces in the phloem for their eggs. The phloem releases a pheromone called frontalin that attracts other beetles.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
After releasing the pheromone, the female lays her eggs in the bark. The pheromone signals other males and females to join the attack.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 21 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Georgia, New Jersey, Florida, New York, Mississippi, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How big is the southern pine beetle?
It is about 3 mm long, roughly the size of a grain of rice.
Source: Wikipedia
What trees does it affect?
It attacks several pine species, damaging the inner bark and phloem.
Source: Wikipedia
Why is it considered a pest?
It has caused massive loss of pine forests in both the southeastern and newly invaded northeastern United States, leading to significant economic damage.
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/Dendroctonus_frontalis
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.