Giant African Longhorn vs Dichotomius Dung Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant African Longhorn Dichotomius Dung Beetle
Scientific Name Macrotoma natala Dichotomius carolinus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Cerambycidae Scarabaeidae
Size 50-100 mm 20-30 mm
Habitat Grasslands Farmland
Diet Wood Feeders Dung Feeders
Regions East Africa, Southern Africa North America (southeastern United States), Central America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Giant African Longhorn

One of the largest longhorn beetles in Africa with powerful mandibles. Dark brown body with a robust build.

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Did You Know?

Their mandibles are strong enough to draw blood and are used by males to fight over breeding sites.

Dichotomius Dung Beetle

A large, robust black tunneling dung beetle with a distinctive bifurcate (forked) horn in males. Females have a transverse ridge on the head instead. It is a nocturnal species that excavates deep tunnels under cattle dung.

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Did You Know?

The forked horn gives this genus its name, from the Greek dichotomous meaning divided in two.