Silken Fungus Beetle vs Ox Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Silken Fungus Beetle Ox Beetle
Scientific Name Cryptophagus lycoperdi Strategus aloeus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Cryptophagidae Scarabaeidae
Size 2-3 mm 30-60mm
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Fungus Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe North America, South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Silken Fungus Beetle

A tiny beetle found inside puffball fungi and in moldy grain stores. Covered in fine silky hairs. Part of a poorly-known beetle family that feeds on fungal spores and molds.

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Did You Know?

So tiny and hidden inside puffball fungi that it is almost never seen despite being common.

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.