Horned-beetle
Guides
Bolitotherus
horned fungus beetle, forked fungus beetle
Bolitotherus is a genus of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) native to North America. The genus contains at least one well-documented species, Bolitotherus cornutus, commonly known as the forked fungus beetle or horned fungus beetle. All life stages are tightly associated with the fruiting bodies of wood-decaying bracket fungi, particularly species of Ganoderma and Fomes. These beetles have become important model organisms for studying sexual selection, social behavior, and population ecology in wild insect populations. Males possess distinctive thoracic horns used in combat for access to mating territories on fungal brackets.
Dynastes grantii
Grant's Hercules Beetle, Western Hercules Beetle
Dynastes grantii is a large rhinoceros beetle native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Adult males possess prominent thoracic horns used in combat, while females lack horns entirely. The species exhibits distinctive grayish-white elytra often marked with irregular black spots. With a body length ranging from 3.5 to 6.0 cm, it is among the largest beetles in its range. The species has a prolonged life cycle, with larvae requiring approximately two years to develop before pupation.
Lichenophanes californicus
horned powder-post beetle
Lichenophanes californicus is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, first described by Horn in 1878. The species is found in North America. Like other members of the genus Lichenophanes, it is characterized by horn-like projections on the head. The family Bostrichidae includes wood-boring beetles, many of which are known for their ability to damage seasoned wood and wooden structures.
Megasoma punctulatum
Arizona elephant beetle
Megasoma punctulatum, commonly known as the Arizona elephant beetle, is a species of rhinoceros beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is a member of the genus Megasoma, which includes some of the largest and heaviest beetles in the Americas. Like other members of its genus, this species exhibits strong sexual dimorphism, with males bearing prominent horns on the head and pronotum that are used in combat with other males. The species is found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.
Megasoma sleeperi
Sleeper's Elephant Beetle
Megasoma sleeperi is a species of rhinoceros beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is endemic to the Algodones Dunes of southeastern California and adjacent areas of southwestern Arizona and northwestern Mexico. Like other members of the genus Megasoma, it is among the largest beetles in North America. Males possess prominent horns used in combat with other males. The species was described by Hardy in 1972 and is named in honor of collector R. C. Sleeper.
Megasoma vogti
Texas elephant beetle, Texas megasoma
Megasoma vogti is a large rhinoceros beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, commonly known as the Texas elephant beetle. It belongs to a genus renowned for containing some of the heaviest-bodied beetles in the world. The species is native to southern Texas and northeastern Mexico, where adults are attracted to lights at night. Like other members of the genus, males possess prominent horns used in combat with rival males.
Micrapate bilobata
horned powder-post beetle
Micrapate bilobata is a species of powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, first described by Fisher in 1950. It is characterized by horn-like projections on the head, a trait common among male bostrichids. The species is found in North America. As with other members of its family, it is associated with wood-boring habits.
Phileurus truncatus
Triceratops Beetle
Phileurus truncatus, commonly known as the Triceratops Beetle, is a large scarab beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. The species is named for its distinctive horn-like projections on the head and pronotum, which resemble the horns of a triceratops dinosaur. It occurs across the southern United States and extends south through Mexico into Central America. Adults are nocturnal and frequently attracted to ultraviolet and mercury-vapor lights.
Xylobiops sextuberculatus
horned powder-post beetle
Xylobiops sextuberculatus is a species of horned powder-post beetle in the family Bostrichidae, first described by LeConte in 1858. It belongs to a genus characterized by pronounced horn-like projections on the pronotum. The species occurs in both Central and North America. As a member of the Bostrichidae family, it is associated with wood-boring habits, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.