Rhino beetles cannot bite, sting, or harm people. Their body has a hard shell. The males have horns used in mating rituals.
Rhino beetles are attracted to lights at night. They feed on fruit and sap. The larvae eat decaying plants.
The Hercules beetle is one of the largest flying insects. It lives in rainforests. The males have big horns making them very strong.
Male and female rhino beetles cost about $5 to $10. This family includes dung beetles.
The horns help identify that rhino beetles are male. Females lack horns. This shows sexual dimorphism.
The Hercules beetle makes sounds by rubbing body parts. It does not vocalize loudly like cicadas.
Rhino beetles need humid conditions. Give them moist soil and leaves. Keep their habitat sprayed with water.
Where are rhino beetles found in the US?
Rhinoceros beetles live in the south from Arizona northeast to Nebraska and eastward in the United States. They inhabit leaf litter, plants, and fallen logs. All rhinoceros beetles eat fruit, nectar, and sap. Females lay about 50 eggs in decaying plant matter. After several molts the larvae eventually reach adult size in one to two years. Much time may be spent in the larval stage. The male’s horns are used to drive away other males from the female beetle during mating.
How rare are rhino beetles?
Rhino beetles are common. The five-horned rhino beetle is rare. Despite large size, it is a flying beetle. Ability to fly spreads the species. The Hercules beetle is the longest beetle. Rhino beetles live in rainforests. They are large insects. Prices for them range from $100 to $1000. The titan beetle is the largest in the Amazon. Rhino beetles have thick exoskeletons. They are strong insects. A fungus or virus controls their population. Traps with a chemical attractant kill them. Adults live around 100 days. It is illegal to import live beetles without a permit. Rhino beetles lift 850 times their weight, making them the strongest creature for their size. The panda ant is one of the rarest US insects. Male rhino beetles have a large forked horn. They fly slowly. A European rhino beetle was found in a Dutch nature reserve. It is a rare beetle species there. Rhino beetles are protected in Europe. They have reddish shells. One was found in a Russian forest.
Are rhino beetles invasive?
The Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle is an invasive pest, damaging coconut palms and other crops like bananas and pineapples. The beetle kills palms when the growing point is destroyed. The adult beetles feed on fruit, nectar and sap. The larvae eat decaying plants. The male beetle’s horns are used to drive away other males during mating.
The beetle can carry 850 times its weight, equivalent to a man lifting 76 cars. What attractant is used currently to trap the beetles in Guam? Can another virus be found to control the beetles?
The beetle is a major pest in India, the Philippines, Fiji and Guam, killing coconut palms. How it was introduced in Hawaii is unknown. It poses economic risk if not controlled.
The government of Vanuatu has received international assistance offers to eradicate the beetle. The threat in Pacific islands may cost $169 million a year by 2040 if not curbed. Grants were awarded in 2021 to combat invasive species, including $866,000 to University of Guam for efforts against the coconut beetle.
The battle continues focused on the Pearl City area of Oahu recently catching 146 beetles. Preventive measures include pesticides and napthalene balls to repel the beetles. More effective surveillance and green waste management by partners has led to higher beetle counts. The goal is minimizing outbreaks outside current areas to reduce core population numbers.