Stats

Lifespan: 1-2 yrs
Size: Huge
Diet: Herbivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Tropical rainforest
Range: Central and South America
Movement: Flight
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Armor
Status: Rare

About

The Hercules beetle is the world's longest beetle species — males can reach 17 cm, with a curved horn that sometimes equals the entire length of the rest of their body. Native to the rainforests of Central and South America, adults feed on rotting fruit and decaying wood on the forest floor.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2.
juvenile
An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3.
subadult
A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4.
adult
Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Genus: Dynastes
Species: Dynastes hercules