About Strategus aloeus (Linnaeus, 1758)
This species, Strategus aloeus, commonly called ox beetle, shows sexual dimorphism and size variation in horns among adults. "Major" males have three large horns on their thoraces that resemble the horns of a Triceratops. "Minor" males also have horns, but their two rear horns are small, and their frontal horn is much shorter than that of major males. Female ox beetles have a very short horn; this horn is not very useful for fighting, but females use it for digging in the ground. Excluding the horns of males, adult beetles of this species reach a length of around 1.0 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 centimeters). This species can be found in the southern United States, but it has much larger populations in the Neotropical realm, across Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and parts of South America.
