# Horned Passalid (*Odontotaenius disjunctus*) The Horned Passalid is a cool beetle with big horns! They love to live in decaying wood and help break it down. These beetles are fun to watch as they scurry around in the forest. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 29 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Horned Passalid](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Beetle-Bessbug.jpg&width=800) Photo: PiccoloNamek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beetle-Bessbug.jpg) ## Appearance The Horned Passalid is a large, shiny black beetle with deeply grooved wing covers (elytra). Males have a distinctive, short horn on their head. Its robust, elongated body makes it look like a miniature tank. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Passalidae - **Genus:** Odontotaenius ## Interesting facts - Both mom and dad beetles work together to raise their babies! - Horned Passalids are the only truly social beetles found in North America! - They can live for several years hidden deep inside logs! - They hum, hiss, and click to 'talk' to family members! ## Special abilities - **Talking Beetle:** Horned Passalid can 'talk' using over 10 different sounds by rubbing body parts, which helps them communicate within their log home. - **Team Parent:** Horned Passalid parents chew and prepare wood for their larvae, and protect them from predators, helping their young grow strong. - **Log Recycler:** Horned Passalid larvae and adults tunnel through dead wood, breaking it down into soil nutrients, which helps forests stay healthy. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 60-80 mm - **Size:** 30-40 mm - **Lifespan:** 365-1095 days - **Leg Count:** 6 - **Colony Size:** 2-10 ## Diet & Feeding Horned Passalids are nature's recyclers, munching on decaying wood. - **Primary Foods:** Decaying hardwood, Wood fungi - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — Adults and larvae consume its decaying wood for food and shelter. - **Eaten by:** [Pileated Woodpecker](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pileated-woodpecker) (*Dryocopus pileatus*) — Woodpeckers dig into logs to find and eat these nutritious beetles. - **Eats:** [Turkey Tail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/turkey-tail) (*Trametes versicolor*) — They consume fungi that help decompose the wood they live in. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Horned](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/horned): Characterized by having one or more hard, permanent, pointed projections on the head. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Glowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/glowing): Pertaining to organisms that emit light through bioluminescence or fluorescence. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low These beetles are safe to observe, but it's best to leave them in their home. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Horned Passalid? Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Horned Passalid's wingspan? 60-80 mm ### How big is Horned Passalid? 30-40 mm ### How long does Horned Passalid live? 365-1095 days ### What does Horned Passalid eat? Horned Passalids are nature's recyclers, munching on decaying wood. ### Where is Horned Passalid usually found? Forests ### How does Horned Passalid hunt? Foraging ### How many legs does Horned Passalid have? 6 ## Where to spot - [Abbott Farm Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/abbott-farm-historic-district) — New Jersey, US · Historic District - [Advance Mills](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/advance-mills) — Virginia, US · Neighborhood - [Bainbridge Commercial Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bainbridge-commercial-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Brookfield Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brookfield-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Burke Lake Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/burke-lake-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Camp Misty Mount Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-misty-mount-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District [View all places to see Horned Passalid](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/horned-passalid) ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Horned Passalid: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/horned-passalid)