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Species Odontotaenius disjunctus - Horned Passalus
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)
Superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Scarab, Stag and Bess Beetles)
Family Passalidae (Bess Beetles)
Genus Odontotaenius
Species disjunctus (Horned Passalus)
Other Common Names Bess Beetle, Bess Bug, Betsy Beetle or Bug, Patent Leather Beetle, Peg Beetle Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Odontotaenius disjunctus (Illiger 1800) (Passalus)
Scarabaeus interruptus Linnaeus 1764
Passalus cornutus Fabricius 1801
Passalus distinctus Weber 1801
Passalus bos Kuwert 1891
Popilius disjunctus in much of the older literature. Explanation of Names Author of species is Illiger, 1800, as Passalus disjunctus. Species name disjunctus likely refers to the jointed body. Horned Passalus is the common name listed by the Entomological Society of America. Bess Bug is the name in common use by laypeople. "Bess" probably comes from French baiser, "to kiss", and probably refers to the ability of this beetle to pinch with its mandibles (which it does rarely) or the sound of the stridulation. Identification Unique in its range: elongate shape, large size, deeply striated elytra. Larvae are scarabaeiform ( Passalidae page at Univ. Florida), and appear to have only four legs. Hind legs are shortened, used for stridulation, communication with adults, presumably.
See also characteristics given for family. Range Eastern and central United States, more rare in northern parts of range.
Among locality records for this species are these listed by Downie & Arnett (1996): PQ, ON, NY, IL, IN, OH, PA, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, TX, Mexico and south to Central and South America. Doubtless this list is far from complete. Habitat Deciduous forests with rotting, fallen logs. Season Can be found all year in rotting logs. I have found adults coming to lights in spring and summer in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Food Decaying wood and/or fungi. Life Cycle Lifestyle of this family is unique for beetles: live in small colonies where larvae are cared for by adults of both sexes. Long life cycle, apparently more than one year. Larvae eat a rotting wood prechewed by adults. (Some references state larvae eat feces of adults as well.) Larvae and adults also cannibalize injured larvae.
Adults reported to fly very seldom. Adults are found at lights on occasion, despite statements in several sources. They may disperse by walking, but have been seen in Durham, North Carolina, to open elytra and fly briefly under lights (pers. observation, P Coin). A nuptial flight has also been observed (MacGown and MacGown, 1996).
Both adults and larvae make noises by stridulation, and this is said to serve as communication between them. Adults also stridulate when picked up, and especially, blown on. Stridulation mechanism of adults by rubbing abdomen against the wings. Larvae stridulate with reduced third pair of legs--these scratch against other legs. Print References Dillon, p. 573, plate LVI (1)
Downie and Arnett, p. 632 (2)
White, pp. 137-138,, fig. 52 (3)
Papp, p. 195, figs. 666-667, shows tunnels (4)
Taber, pp. 144-145, fig. 125--photos adults, grubs (6)
Brimley, p. 367 states that Zelia vertebrata parasitizes this beetle. Brimley, p. 209, lists the beetle for the "whole year" throughout the state of North Carolina, in decaying hardwood logs (7).
MacGown, J. and M. MacGown. 1996. Observation of a nuptial flight of the horned Passalus beetle, Odontotaenius disjunctus (Illiger) (Coleoptera: Passalidae). The Coleopterists Bulletin 50: 201-203 (quoted here). Works Cited | 5. | Insects in Kansas
By Glenn A. Salsbury and Stephan C. White | |
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