Animal Profiles
Insects

Rhinoceros beetle

Dynastinae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Rhinoceros beetles include many horned species. This account follows Hercules beetles as treated broadly under Dynastes hercules in the cited source.

A reared Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules), illustrating the rhinoceros beetle group.

A reared Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules), illustrating the rhinoceros beetle group.

Novita Estiti from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY

At a glance

Location
Hercules beetles inhabit tropical American forests.
Habitat
Rainforest
Diet
Herbivore
Food
Larvae consume decaying wood, whereas adults feed on fallen or soft fruit.

Classification

Common name
Rhinoceros beetle
Browse group
Insects
Scientific name or taxon
Dynastinae

Three things to know

  • Males carry large horns.
  • Larvae develop in rotting wood.
  • Adults eat soft fruit.

Habitat and range

Hercules beetles inhabit tropical American forests. Decaying logs provide food and shelter for the large larvae, linking their development to fallen wood.

Appearance and adaptations

Adult males carry prominent opposing horns, while females lack these exaggerated structures. The bulky larvae have a pale, curved body quite unlike the winged adult.

Diet and behaviour

Larvae consume decaying wood, whereas adults feed on fallen or soft fruit. The source uses a broad historical species treatment, so its geographical account should not be read as a modern map for every recently separated taxon.

Sources

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