Identifying brown beetles by their appearance calls for information about characteristic properties. Here, beetle detectives will find a compact table of the characteristics of five common species in Germany with brown bodies. In-depth facts can be read in meaningful short portraits for correct beetle identification.
How do I recognize different types of brown beetles in Germany?
Brown beetles can be identified by their size, body shape, color and special features. The common brown beetles in Germany include grain beetles, Colorado potato beetles, spruce weevils, house longhorn beetles and spiny beetles. Distinguishing features include trunks, stripes, stingers or long antennae.
- Small brown beetle is often the 2.5-5 mm elongated grain beetle (in the house) or the 7-15 mm thick-oval, yellowish-brown with black stripes (in the garden).
- Large brown beetle is usually an 8-26 mm slender house beetle with long antennae (in the house) or a 10-14 mm oval spruce weevil (in the garden).
- In Germany, the brown beetle with stinger is often a 5.5-8.5 mm large stinger beetle, a harmless nuisance in the garden.
Identifying brown beetles – 5 common species
Identifying brown beetles in Germany requires important information and the instinct of a detective. The following table lists significant characteristics of five native brown beetles:
| Identify brown beetles | grain beetle | Potato beetle | Spruce Weevil | Hausbock | Banded Spiny Beetle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 2, 5-5 mm | 7-15mm | 10-14 mm | 8-26mm | 5, 5-8, 5mm |
| Body shape | elongated, cylindrical | thick, roundish-oval | oval | elongated, slim | streamlined |
| Cover color | brown | brown-yellow, light-brown | dark grey-brown | brown, black-brown | black-brown |
| Special feature | with trunk | with black stripes | with trunk | with long antennae | with spike |
| Activity | nocturnal | diurnal | diurnal | active day and night | diurnal |
| Status | storage pest | Pest | Wood pest | Wood pest | Troublemaker |
| Location | in the kitchen | in the garden | on trees, woody plants | in the house | in the garden |
| Botanical name | Sitophilus granarius | Leptinotarsa decemlineata | Hylobius abietis | Hylotrupes bajulus | Variimorda villosa |
| Middle name | none | Colorado Beetle | Big brown weevil | Woodworm | none |
| Beetle Family | Weevils | leaf beetles | Weevils | longhorn beetle | sting beetle |
Is there a first name for the correct beetle identification? Then read the following short portraits with further information that will confirm your suspicion.
Small brown beetle – identify grain beetle
Grain beetles are typical storage pests
Grain beetles cannot survive outside in Germany. This doesn't stop the brown mini beetles from contaminating dry supplies in the home, such as grains, pasta, oatmeal or muesli. In addition to the characteristics in the table above, the grain beetle can be recognized by its shiny brown pronotum with elongated dots.
Tip
If a small brown beetle jumps in your bed, you are sharing your sleeping space with fleas. The pests are 1-3.5 mm small, yellowish-brown and have a laterally flattened body. Are you also plagued by itching, reddish stings and pustules on your skin? Then you should take immediate action to combat the nasty vermin in the house.
Small brown beetle in striped dress – revealing the Colorado potato beetle
Its conspicuous warning costume makes the Colorado potato beetle unmistakable. The body is thickly arched and is supported by six orange-brown legs. The light brown to yellowish cover wings are decorated with black stripes. Another clue to the beetle's identity is an orange pronotum with black spots. The antennae glow bright orange with black tips.
Big brown beetle – recognizing spruce weevils
The spruce weevil causes great damage in the forest
When a large brown beetle spreads fear and terror in Germany's forests, the spruce weevil is on the move. The pest primarily targets coniferous wood and plays in the same league as the bark beetle. A large brown weevil can be easily identified by its armor-like, brown cover wings with yellow stripes of slightly raised scales. In fact, the entire back of the beetle is noticeably rough with punctures.
Excursus
Brown stink beetle is a bug
If a brown beetle stinks in the house, the marmorated stink bug will pay you a visit. In fact, the introduced Asian bug is easily confused with a real beetle. A 15 mm body, brown-gray marbled back, black-and-white patterned side edges and curled, long antennae characterize the appearance. Halyomorpha halys become a nuisance in the home in autumn as they look for winter quarters. Anyone who picks up a fly swatter will feel the beasts' foul-smelling defensive weapon. Marbled stink bugs therefore have the apt second name stink beetles.
Brown beetle with long antennae – identify house beetle
Determining a house goat accurately is part of the basics of pest science. There is a reason why the brown beetle with the long antennae is also called the woodworm. Adult beetles and voracious larvae tirelessly bore through roof beams, wooden floors and wooden furniture in the apartment. Two pairs of white hair spots on the densely hairy back and thickened thighs near the body help identify the beetle.
Admire the majestic longhorned beetle in the following video:
Brown beetle with stinger – identify sting beetle
The banded spiny beetle is representative of the species-rich family of spiny beetles. Aside from the characteristic spine on the abdomen, another feature serves as an identification aid. Spiny beetles cause merriment in the garden with their tumbling movements. When it tries to catch the lively brown beetle in the garden, the insect flees with lightning-fast individual jumps. With every single jump, the spiny beetle changes direction, height and width. This creates the impression of a forward movement consisting of numerous screwed somersaults with a somersault character.
Frequently asked questions
There are countless fat, round beetles with white, black or yellow dots sitting on our balcony. Which beetles are these?
If armies of thick, round beetles gather on the balcony or house wall, they are usually Asian lady beetles (Harmonia axyridis). The trademarks of the immigrated beetles are dots on their backs. Numerous color variations can be admired. Orange-brown cover wings with black dots are often present. Black-brown wings with yellow dots or yellowish-brown wings with white dots are nice to look at. There is no cause for concern as the harlequin beetles are simply sunbathing in search of winter quarters.
A small brown beetle with brown stripes flies around the kitchen. What type of beetle is it?
Bread beetles love pastries
According to your description, it is most likely a bread beetle (Stegobium paniceum). The dreaded storage pest can be identified by an oval body measuring 2 to 3 mm in size. Brown, dotted longitudinal stripes on the red-brown cover wings are striking. Please immediately inspect your dry supplies in the kitchen for possible pest infestation.
Can a brown beetle with a stinger sting people or pets?
No. In this beetle, the stinger functions as an ovipositor. Female stinger beetles bore a hole in rotten wood to lay their eggs. The harmless brown beetles have no interest in stinging people or pets. Even if a bad-tempered beetle were to try, the blunt stinger is unable to injure human skin.
Tip
It is a common misconception that beetles cannot fly in Germany. In fact, Mother Nature endowed most beetles with four wings. Membranous, delicate wings rest under two hard cover wings. When a brown beetle activates its flying apparatus, the cover wings lift up and make room for the skin wings to unfold. In contrast, bedbugs have to stay on the ground, like the large, brown American bedbug beetle.
