Ox Beetle vs Telephone Pole Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ox Beetle Telephone Pole Beetle
Scientific Name Strategus aloeus Micromalthus debilis
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Micromalthidae
Size 30-60mm 1.5-2.5 mm
Habitat Farmland Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions North America, South America North America
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.

Telephone Pole Beetle

The sole surviving member of an ancient beetle family dating back 200 million years.

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Did You Know?

Larvae can reproduce by paedogenesis, giving live birth while still immature.