Rhinoceros Beetle

Distribution: Every continent except for Antarctica

Size Length: Up to 18cm; in average around 10cm

Life expectancy: Around 2 years

Diet: Herbivores

Number of eggs: Up to 50 eggs

IUCN red list status: No status



The Rhinoceros beetle (Dynastinae) is an insect subfamily of the family (Scarabaidae) that has around 300 different species. The characteristic that gives this group the name of “rhinoceros” is the fact that the males have a hornlike structure in their head that they use to fight for females and feeding sites. The female has a small tubercle where the male has that hornlike structure. These “horns” are not used to apply injures but to expel rivals from the territory they are disputing.

The colours of the animals of this group are mainly greyish, black or greenish. Some of these animals are covered with structures that look like small soft hairs. Adults of some species have been registered to be capable of lifting objects 850 times their weight.

A big part of their lives rhinoceros beetles live as larvae, although most species live around 2 years there are registers of animals living 4 years as larvae as it happens in the Megasoma genus.

As protection from predators, besides their large size, they are nocturnal animals and when disturbed they produce hissing squeaks that occur due to rubbing their abdomen and wing covers together.

One of the main threats to the survival of rhinoceros beetles is the catching for having them as pets.