Interesting Facts About Rhinoceros Beetle

Interesting Facts About Rhinoceros Beetle

1. A rhino is a large, strong animal, which is famous for its distinctive horns. There is also an insect with similar characteristics-it's very large, very strong, and even has horns!  It's the rhinoceros beetle.

2. Adult rhino beetles are stout, black beetles with a body length of about two inches.  Both male and female rhino beetles have a single horn.

3.  Despite their fierce appearance, rhinoceros beetles are all totally harmless.

4. Because they are so big they can store fat so that they can fly long distances without eating.

5. Most males use their horn for the right to mate with the females. They are usually battling each other for dominant supremacy.

6. The rhinoceros beetle can be found from southern Mexico down to northern Colombia and northern Venezuela.  

7. The rhinoceros beetle can carry 850 times its own weight; that would be the equivalent of a man carrying 80 family-sized cars on his back.

8. Another name for the beetle is scarab.

9. They live underground as larvae for ten to 16 months, but only live for three to four months as adults.

10. There are more than 800,000 species of insects on earth, more than all the other plants and animals combined. Of this great number of insects, nearly half are beetles, and there are probably 100,000 species of horned beetles.

11. Unlike other insects, beetles (Order Coleoptera) have a pair of leathery protective wings called elytra that cover their membranous flight wings. During flight, the elytra are spread apart and the two flight wings are unfolded and extended.

12. Scientists believe that the beetle has become so strong in order to be able to forage through heavy litter on the jungle floor and dig its way to safety. Using its horns it can dig its way out of a sticky situation by burying itself underground, escaping danger.

13. Adult males have an upper horn that protrudes forward from the thorax and a lower horn that protrudes forward from the head, while females lack horns altogether.

14. Females may have a greater body length but are not generally as long as males. Males have black heads and a set of forewings that can be shades of green, brown or black, while females are entirely brownish black.

15. Beetles are generally nocturnal but are sometimes active during the day, especially when looking for a mate. They are strongly attracted to light.

16. They typically mate during the rainy season, at which time the males become extremely aggressive.

17. Food At younger stages - decaying wood. As adults they feed on fruit and sap.

18. Life Span About a year and a half.

19. They live underground as larvae for ten to 16 months, but only live for three to four months as adults.

20. There are many species of rhinoceros beetles. The strongest is the Hercules rhinoceros beetle which can lift up to 850 times its own weight. That would be like you lifting 850 people your size! This makes the Hercules rhinoceros beetle the strongest animal on Earth! Relative to its size, it's even stronger than a bear, a lion, or an elephant.

21. Many male rhinoceros beetles are over 2½ inches long, however Hercules rhinoceros beetles can be over 6 inches long!

22. The rhinoceros beetle’s size and fearsome appearance help protect it from predators. It will also hiss and squeak if it feels threatened. These squeaks aren’t made by its mouth.  Instead, they are made by rubbing wings against abdomen.

23. During the day, this big beetle hides under logs and other vegetation. At night, it comes out to look for food. It's favorite foods include plant sap, nectar, fruit, and decaying plants. 

24. Rhinoceros beetles live on every continent except Antarctica. Most of the largest species, like the Hercules beetle and the elephant beetle, live in warm, tropical regions. Some smaller species, such as the unicorn beetle and Grant's beetle, live in the United States.

25. Like other insects rhinoceros beetles have wings. And yes, despite their large size, they can fly quite well.

26. Although this insect might look a little scary it really is harmless to humans. It doesn’t sting.

27. Rhino beetles have four life stages: eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. They develop from eggs to adults in about four months.

28. Only adult rhino beetles cause damage by boring into live trees. Immature rhino beetles live in decaying vegetation, usually rotting coconut logs. The larvae, are white C-shaped grubs which grow to about 3.5 inches in length, much larger than any other scarab beetles.