![]() Their larval stage is long, several years in some species. If a squeaking beetle is examined closely, the abdomen can be seen moving in time with the squeaks. The hissing squeak is merely a bluff and is produced by rubbing the abdomen against the ends of the wing covers. The fearsome appearance of these beetles is increased by the loud hissing squeaks they give when disturbed. During the day, they hide under logs or in vegetation and are invisible from the few predators big enough to want to eat them. The best protection they have from predators is their usually large size combined with being nocturnal (activity being at night). Using its horns, it can dig its way out of a sticky situation by burying itself underground, escaping danger. Scientists believe that the beetle has become so strong to be able to forage through heavy litter on the jungle floor and dig its way to safety. The male Rhinoceros Beetles use their horns in mating battles against other males. The two horns almost meet and by moving its head the beetle can pinch weakly with them. They have two horns, one on the top of the head and the other projecting forward from the middle of the thorax. Rhino Beetles reach 60 millimetres in length. The Rhinoceros Beetle is aptly named because it has horns on its head, very much like the rhinoceros does. Rhinoceros Beetles are among the largest of beetles in the world. This rhinoceros can fly short distances, although its heavy body makes for a bumpy and brief ride.The Rhinoceros Beetle (or Rhino Beetle) belongs to the subfamily (Dynastinae) and is part of the family of scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae). These sounds are not vocal, but produced when the beetle rubs its abdomen and wing covers together. When disturbed, or before mating with a female rhinoceros beetles produce hissing squeaks. Longevity varies among species, but a typical lifespan is one to two years, with much of that time spent in the larval stage. Females lay about 50 eggs, which hatch into larvae. Females are smaller and do not have horns. Additional, shorter horns project out from his head. The male rhinoceros beetle is proudly posts a long, intimidating horn on its head that curves up, and is used for mating ritual fights. In the United States, they’re found from Arizona to Nebraska and eastward. ![]() Though almost mythological in appearance, they are found on every continent on Earth except Antarctica. Most Rhinoceros beetles are black, gray, or greenish in color, and some are covered in soft hairs. ![]() Such a gentle diet for a giant! The larvae eat decaying plant matter. (That’d be like a human lifting twenty mid-sized cars.) These beetles are known to put their strength, and their horns, to use by quickly digging themselves into soil to escape danger.Īll rhinoceros beetles are herbivorous, feeding on fruit, nectar, and tree sap that they tap with their horns. ![]() Adults of these species can lift objects 850 times their weight. Another of the species, slightly smaller than the rhinoceros, is called the hercules beetle, due to its Herculean strength. They can grow up to six inches, making them some of the largest beetles in the world. A subfamily of the scarab beetle family, rhinoceros beetles are named for the horn-like projections on the males' heads. Each Wednesday, One Earth’s “Species of the Week” series highlights a relatively unknown and fascinating species to showcase the beauty, diversity, and remarkable characteristics of our shared planet Earth.ĭynastinae, Rhinoceros or Hercules beetle… no matter what you call it, this insect is a force of nature. ![]()
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