Ox Beetle vs Sardinian Cave Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ox Beetle Sardinian Cave Beetle
Scientific Name Strategus aloeus Speomolops sardous
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Molopidius
Size 30-60mm 8-10 mm
Habitat Farmland Caves
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions North America, South America Sardinia
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

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.

Sardinian Cave Beetle

A blind cave beetle endemic to a single cave system in Sardinia. It has no eyes, no pigment, and elongated legs and antennae.

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Did You Know?

It was only discovered in 1970 and remains known from a single cave near Cagliari.