Horned Passalus vs Oak Processionary Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Horned Passalus Oak Processionary Moth
Scientific Name Odontotaenius disjunctus Thaumetopoea processionea
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Passalidae Notodontidae
Size 28-37 mm 25-35 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Eastern North America Europe
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.

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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.

Oak Processionary Moth

A moth whose caterpillars march nose-to-tail in long processions along tree branches.

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Did You Know?

Its caterpillar hairs cause severe allergic reactions and rashes in humans.