Elephant Beetle

Description:

Elephant beetles are black in color and covered with a coat of fine microscopic hairs. The hairs grow particularly thick on the beetle's elytra. The hairs give the beetle's body a yellowish color. Males have two horns protruding from the head and another from the prothorax. Females have no horns. The horns are used for defense in competition among males for food and mates.

Habitat:

Warm, humid climates, usually rainforests.

Notes:

We usually see these at the beach, but this one was on the sidewalk in front of my daughter's school. The flip flop next to it belongs to my 2 year old son - it's a toddler size 5 if you know shoe sizes!