Beetle (Enemy)

The Beetle is a simple creature, posing no threat whatsoever besides physical contact. Even with greater speed than most enemies, the Beetle poses little to no threat to Link, a single sword swipe killing these creatures.

In The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening beetles are an inexplicably uncommon enemy, only appearing on one screen, south of Kanalet Castle. They appear from a hole in the ground when you get close. They can be killed easily with a single sword slash, but endlessly continue appearing from the hole.

In the Oracle series, these creatures are somewhat hidden, appearing only occasionaly when Link digs a hole using the Shovel. As such, they may technically be the most common enemy in the two games, alongside the Rope, having the ability to appear anywhere Link is capable of digging.

Quote from The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap Beetle figurine: "Appear in various areas. They appear under rocks and grass. If they grab you, you won't be able to move. Swing your sword to get away."

Strategy
Very little strategy is needed to kill a Beetle, one attack with any offensive item is enough to do away with them.