Ox Beetle vs Malagasy Mound-building Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ox Beetle Malagasy Mound-building Termite
Scientific Name Strategus aloeus Microcerotermes subtilis
Order Coleoptera Blattodea
Family Scarabaeidae Termitidae
Size 30-60mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Farmland Underground
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions North America, South America Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Ox Beetle

A large robust dark brown beetle with three forward-pointing horns on the males pronotum. It is attracted to lights in tropical areas.

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Did You Know?

Males use their three horns like a trident to pry rivals from burrows during fights over females.

Malagasy Mound-building Termite

A small termite species that constructs conspicuous carton mounds on tree trunks or the ground. Workers are pale and soft-bodied with darkened head capsules.

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Did You Know?

Its dark carton mounds are made from a mixture of soil, chewed wood, and fecal material cemented together, and they can persist for years even after the colony dies.