The entire reason that Hercules beetles make fascinating pets are those massive, intimidating horns seen in male beetles. A few weeks after pupation, the adult beetles emerge. Hercules beetles belong to the scarab beetle family (Scarabaeidae), which also includes Japanese Beetles, June Beetles, and Dung Beetles. Organisms that undergo complete metamorphosis completely change the form of their body as they mature from a juvenile to an adult. At a certain size, the insects often develop sexual organs and are able to reproduce. “Hercules Beetle.” Biology Dictionary. This ends the fight much quicker and allows the successful male to mate with the female. In many Asian countries and growing parts of the Western Hemisphere, Hercules beetle fights are seen as a form of entertainment. As they grow, they shed their exoskeletons in a series of stages known as instars, nymphs, or juveniles.
The coloraton of the beetles is variable, but females are typically brownish black and males typically have black heads and black, brown or green bodies. Males are attracted chemically and audibly to the females, often drawing more than one male. The eastern hercules beetle is one of the largest insects in the United States.
It is typically found in tropical rain forests with high numbers of woody trees. Eastern Hercules Beetle female. They have a black suture with sparsely distributed black spots elsewhere on the elytra. Not counting subspecies of D. hercules, seven other species are recognized in the genus Dynastes. [5] Male Hercules beetles may reach up to 173 mm (7 in) in length (including the horn), making them the longest species of beetle in the world, if jaws and/or horns are included in the measurement. A Field Guide to Common Texas Insects.
[5], Populations of D. hercules may be found from southern Mexico to Bolivia in mountainous and lowland rain forests. [11], D. hercules is a beneficial contributor to the rain forest ecosystem, primarily during their larval stage where they are saproxylophagous. [11], Reports suggest the Hercules beetle is able to carry up to 850 times its body mass. Bart Drees. There are several subspecies some of which are colored differently. While it is always important to research any pet you want to get, Hercules Beetles are kept as pets in places as far from their home as Japan. Hercules beetles are named for their incredible strength. Biologydictionary.net, June 18, 2020. https://biologydictionary.net/hercules-beetle/. Biologydictionary.net Editors. While the adult beetles lose some weight as they undergo metamorphosis, they can still be nearly 4-inches long and can apply nearly, Eastern Hercules Beetle – Dynastes tityus. The eggs have an incubation period of approximately 27.7 days before they hatch. The western hercules beetle, Dynastes granti, is found in Arizona and Utah and Dynastes hyllus is found in Mexico, as far north as the state of Tamaulipas.