Horned passalus
The horned passalus is a shiny black beetle that looks as if it is made of polished leather. It has long grooves on its wing covers and a tiny horn between its eyes. It lives inside rotting logs together with its family.
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Fun facts
It is very strong. It can pull 50 times its own weight.
It squeaks by rubbing its wings against its belly. Even the grubs can squeak, and they use the sounds to talk to each other.
The whole family shares the log. The grown-ups chew the wood first, so it is easier for everyone to eat.
It can fly, but it would rather walk, even for long distances.
Males push each other over with their little horns when they fight over a female.
Most asked questions about Horned passalus
?Is the horned passalus dangerous?
No. It is a gentle beetle that squeaks when it is picked up.
?What does the horned passalus eat?
Rotting wood from old logs. Its grubs also eat fungi and food from their parents.
?Why does the beetle squeak?
It rubs its wings on its belly to make sounds. It does this when it is disturbed and to talk to its family.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Odontotaenius disjunctus
- Group
- Beetles
- Family
- Passalidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Coleoptera > Passalidae
- Lives on
- North America
- Also known as
- Patent-leather beetle
Where the facts come from
- Odontotaenius disjunctus (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Charles J. Sharp. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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