Harvester Termite vs Flattened Giant Millipede Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Harvester Termite | Flattened Giant Millipede Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Hodotermes mossambicus | Passalus unicornis |
| Order | Blattodea | Coleoptera |
| Family | Hodotermitidae | Passalidae |
| Size | 8–15 mm | 30-45 mm |
| Habitat | Grasslands | Woodlands |
| Diet | Wood Feeders | Wood Feeders |
| Regions | Southern and Eastern Africa | Central Africa (Cameroon, Gabon, DRC, Congo) |
| Conservation | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
Harvester Termite
One of the few termite species that forages above ground in broad daylight. Workers have functional eyes and harvest dry grass from savanna surfaces.
Did You Know?
It is one of the only termites with fully developed compound eyes, an adaptation for its daytime foraging lifestyle.
Flattened Giant Millipede Beetle
A large, flattened bess beetle with a shiny black body and a small horn on the head. Adults and larvae live together in rotting logs in a subsocial arrangement. Adults produce sounds by rubbing their hindwings against the abdomen.
Did You Know?
Parents feed their larvae pre-chewed wood and communicate with them using stridulatory sounds, one of the few examples of parental care in beetles.