Horned passalus

Description:

They are shiny black and have many long grooves on their elytra. Species within the family Passalidae, including the horned passalus, are beneficial decomposers of wood. The horned passalus only decomposes decaying wood or logs, and it is not a pest of urban structures.

Habitat:

Found under a log in a mostly deciduous forest. Found in eastern United States.

Notes:

Common names are often also associated with it: betsy beetle, bess bug, patent leather beetle, Jerusalem beetle, horn beetle, and peg beetle. Some of these common names apply specifically to O. disjunctus, and others may generally refer to the family Passalidae.