Horned Passalus vs Indian Honey Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Horned Passalus Indian Honey Bee
Scientific Name Odontotaenius disjunctus Apis cerana indica
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Passalidae Apidae
Size 28-37 mm 10-13 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Eastern North America South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

💡

Did You Know?

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

Indian Honey Bee

A small, dark-banded honey bee native to the Indian subcontinent and the primary managed bee species in traditional Indian beekeeping. It builds multiple-comb nests in enclosed cavities and is well-adapted to tropical conditions.

💡

Did You Know?

Indian honey bees can thermoregulate their hive by fanning their wings and have a unique defense called 'heat balling' where they suffocate hornet intruders.