Meet the Rhinoceros Beetle-Probably the strongest animal in the world and maybe one of the ugliest. They are BIG. The heaviest known Rhinoceros Beetle (Dynastinae), weighed in at 8.4 oz, the size of a female rat, but this badass bug can fly. There are some 300 different species of Rhino Beetles, many of them native to Costa Rica. They can lift 850 times their own body weight, which is like a human lifting an elephant. You probably have had one in your garden, but since they are nocturnal and like to burrow in dead leaves or mulch, you may not have seen one.
Rhino Beetles are also called Hercules Beetle, Unicorn Beetle, or Horn Beetle. They are part of the Scarab Beetle family. They are usually black, gray, or greenish in color, and some have soft hairs on their legs. Their most impressive feature is the horn male beetles have, which they use to dig or to fight other male beetles during mating season. Their lifespan is one and a half years: 10-16 months beneath the ground as larvae, and 3-4 months above ground as adults. They have a strong protective shell, but are eaten by birds, rats, bats and reptiles. The beetles eat tree sap, sweet fruits, small insects, and decaying plant matter.
To attract mates during mating season, Rhinos make a hissing sound by rubbing their wings against their abdomens, thereby scaring off other male suitors and letting the ladies know how to find them. Seems that in the beetle dating world, looks aren’t everything, beetle bravado reigns supreme. The male beetle has two horns, one on his head and the other on his thorax.
In some countries, particularly Japan, Rhino Beetles are considered excellent pets. They do not sting, or bite, and are clean and easy to maintain. In Thailand they are featured in Rhino Beetle battles, usually held in the countryside with farmers betting on their favorites. The beetles are collected during mating season, and placed on a raised log platform with holes poked in the wood so the fighter can smell the pheromone secretions of a female placed within the log. Fighters lift or push each other with their horns, until one gives up or loses his horn. Winner gets the girl, loser is returned to the jungle.
Rhino beetles are considered a delicacy in many Asian countries. Entomologist Severin Tchibozo claims they contain much more protein than either chicken or beef. He also says that they taste “kinda nutty”, not unlike lobster or crab in flavor, and are very good with spicy curry or fried eggplant. Other scientists have claimed that they have a bacon/cheese flavor.
Rhino Beetles are also called Hercules Beetle, Unicorn Beetle, or Horn Beetle. They are part of the Scarab Beetle family. They are usually black, gray, or greenish in color, and some have soft hairs on their legs. Their most impressive feature is the horn male beetles have, which they use to dig or to fight other male beetles during mating season. Their lifespan is one and a half years: 10-16 months beneath the ground as larvae, and 3-4 months above ground as adults. They have a strong protective shell, but are eaten by birds, rats, bats and reptiles. The beetles eat tree sap, sweet fruits, small insects, and decaying plant matter.
To attract mates during mating season, Rhinos make a hissing sound by rubbing their wings against their abdomens, thereby scaring off other male suitors and letting the ladies know how to find them. Seems that in the beetle dating world, looks aren’t everything, beetle bravado reigns supreme. The male beetle has two horns, one on his head and the other on his thorax.
In some countries, particularly Japan, Rhino Beetles are considered excellent pets. They do not sting, or bite, and are clean and easy to maintain. In Thailand they are featured in Rhino Beetle battles, usually held in the countryside with farmers betting on their favorites. The beetles are collected during mating season, and placed on a raised log platform with holes poked in the wood so the fighter can smell the pheromone secretions of a female placed within the log. Fighters lift or push each other with their horns, until one gives up or loses his horn. Winner gets the girl, loser is returned to the jungle.
Rhino beetles are considered a delicacy in many Asian countries. Entomologist Severin Tchibozo claims they contain much more protein than either chicken or beef. He also says that they taste “kinda nutty”, not unlike lobster or crab in flavor, and are very good with spicy curry or fried eggplant. Other scientists have claimed that they have a bacon/cheese flavor.
