The SPB itself is surprisingly small, considering the amount of damage it can do. Because of their small size, you may have difficulty recognizing SPB adults among the many other bark-inhabiting insects. Again, the S-shaped galleries provide telltale evidence that SPB killed the tree, even when the beetles themselves are no longer present. The southern pine beetle is not the only destructive bark beetle in the South. This means that you must be able to tell the difference between SPB attacks and those of other bark beetles.
Identification can be difficult because the various beetles are similar in many ways.
Yet there are unmistakable differences. Also, the BTB normally limits its attacks to the lower 10 feet of the trunk, while the SPB attacks at almost any height on the tree. The black turpentine beetle's galleries follow no distinct pattern. Differences between SPB and Ips beetles are less obvious because the insects are similar in size. Adult galleries provide the best clue for recognizing Ips attacks.