Horned Passalus vs European Dampwood Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Horned Passalus European Dampwood Termite
Scientific Name Odontotaenius disjunctus Kalotermes flavicollis
Order Coleoptera Blattodea
Family Passalidae Kalotermitidae
Size 28-37 mm 6–9 mm
Habitat Woodlands Grasslands
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Eastern North America Southern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Horned Passalus

A large, shiny black beetle with a small horn on its head, found in rotting logs. It lives in family groups where adults and larvae communicate by stridulation.

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Did You Know?

Adults chew wood into pulp and feed it to their larvae, one of the few beetles to show true parental care.

European Dampwood Termite

The most widespread termite in Europe, inhabiting dead branches of oaks and other broadleaf trees. Colonies are small, typically with a few hundred individuals.

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Did You Know?

It is the only termite native to most of Europe and has been known since Aristotle first described termites.