Home
SEE TRIPS
  • Top Destinations
PLAN MY VISIT →
  1. Home
  2. Flora & Fauna
  3. Bird

Rhinoceros Beetle

Rhinoceros Beetle (Megasoma elephas) Spanish name: Cornizuelo

Rhinoceros Beetle
Rhinoceros Beetle
Rhinoceros Beetle
Rhinoceros Beetle
←→
  • Sightings

  • Habitat
    Lowland rainforest is suitable for this beetle, but mature forest is required for the beetle to survive. In younger stages, it lives inside large fallen trees.

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

    Physical Description
    The rhino is one of the strongest insects in the world with relation to its body size, and is the largest beetle within countries like Costa Rica. The male is unmistakable with his massive size and long, intimidating horn that curves up. He has additional, shorter horns that project out from his head, but the long one is used for fighting. Females are smaller and do not have such a dramatically adorned head. The light to dark brown rhinoceros beetle can look almost velvety because it has fine, short hairs over the exoskeleton. This rhinoceros can fly short distances, although its heavy body makes it rather ungraceful in flight.

    The hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) takes second in size compared to the rhinoceros, and the hercules has a second long horn curving down towards the lower one. It is not as hairy.

    Biology and Natural History
    Males look built to fight, and they are. Two males will approach each other to compete, often in a tree. They grapple with their horns, and the winner is whoever first lifts his opponent off his feet and knocks him over. Males fight over females and feeding sites, but they are not very aggressive otherwise.

    These large, impressive beetles come from humble means. The entire lifespan of the rhinoceros beetle is 3 to 4 years, but approximately 2 of those years are spent as a grub. In the grub, or larval stage, the beetle munches on decaying wood on the inside of a fallen tree. Since trees in the Tropics decay very quickly and the grubs develop slowly, the grubs will become exposed or run out of food unless they are in a large fallen tree. This is why Megasoma elephas populations can only live in forest mature enough to have a sufficient number of large, fallen trees. Unfortunately, because many parts of tropical lowlands have been deforested, or at least overcut, the rhinoceros beetle is rare and struggling to survive.

    Diet
    In its younger stages this insect digests decaying wood. As an adult it feeds on fruit and sap.

    Height/Weight
    Adults weigh between 18 and 28 g. Males are between 55 and 80 mm long. Females are lighter but can be slightly longer.

    Taxonomy
    Order: Coleoptera
    Family: Scarabaeidae

    Sources
    Howden, H. F. in Janzen, Daniel H. Costa Rican Natural History. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1983.

    Kricher, John. A Neotropical Companion: an introduction to the animals, plants, and ecosystems of the New World tropics. Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ, 1997.

    Amy Strieter, Wildlife Writer

  • Similar Profiles

  • Arboreal Termites
    Green Page Moth
    Army Ant
    Walking Stick
    Cook
    Golden Orb Weaver
    Scorpions
    Assassin Bugs and Kissing Bugs
    Spotted Longwing
    Glasswing Butterfly
    Blue Morpho
    Monarch Butterfly
    Leaf-Cutter Ant
    Tarantula
    Millipede
    Helicopter Damselfly, Insect - Invertebrate
    Owl Butterfly
    Bullet Ant
    Excellent!
    Trustpilot Rating
    Based on 705 reviews
    Trustpilot
    Will use them again!
    Communicative, helpful and honest. They stuck to my budget and accommodated my changes. My kids and I had such a good ti...
    Dec 01, 2022
    – Kayla C.
    Trustpilot Rating
    100 Stars!!
    If I could give 100 stars, I would wholeheartedly. All the booked activities were excellent and pricing was unbeatable. ...
    Nov 30, 2022
    – Ravi D.
    Trustpilot Rating
    One of the best I have ever used
    Having traveled a lot, I have used many travel companies. The responsiveness and efforts to meet our needs were unmatche...
    Dec 08, 2022
    – A. Hershe.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Above & Beyond in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, & Laos
    Thank you to the entire team that made this trip so memorable for us. We appreciate your warmth and going above and beyo...
    Jun 20, 2022
    – Sapna
    Trustpilot Rating
    Best way to travel!
    I trusted Harold from Anywhere.com to plan my family's vacation. Harold went above and beyond in making sure that our tr...
    Oct 04, 2021
    – Shivani P.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Profesionalism at its Best
    My experience with Anywhere.com in Costa Rica was perfection. All of the drivers were punctual and pleasant; and all of ...
    Aug 02, 2021
    – Natasha I.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Anywhere is OUTSTANDING!
    My family & I have used Anywhere to organize 3 vacations- Costa Rica, Peru, & now Ecuador. I would not hesitate to use t...
    Jul 29, 2021
    – Kara V.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Awesome vacation, everything went smoothly
    Our agent (Erick) planned a great trip for our family of 5. All the tours were excellent, all the transport and lodging ...
    Mar 17, 2020
    – David
    Trustpilot Rating
    Everything Anywhere said they would do…
    Everything Anywhere said they would do they did. Very professional and friendly staff.
    Mar 16, 2020
    – Darrell
    Trustpilot Rating
    We were very reassured in constructing…
    We were very reassured in constructing our trip using Anywhere.com as the team responded promptly to our questions in a ...
    Mar 16, 2020
    – Michael
    Trustpilot Rating
    Great service!
    Great service!
    Mar 15, 2020
    – Kyle K
    Trustpilot Rating
    If I could give 100+stars, I would.
    If I could give 100+stars, I would.
    Mar 15, 2020
    – Jerry Pos.
    Trustpilot Rating
    I gave Anywhere a 48hr turnaround time…
    I gave Anywhere a 48hr turnaround time before our departure to provide an itineary based on what we already researched a...
    Mar 14, 2020
    – Thomas hi.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Anywhere.com was so easy to work with
    Anywhere.com was so easy to work with. They made booking my transfers a pleasant experience. And I even had some last ...
    Mar 14, 2020
    – Ashley Ba.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Perfectly planned
    Perfectly planned. The trip went off with all (5) transfers on time and all our accommodations meeting or exceeding our...
    Mar 14, 2020
    – John C.
    Trustpilot Rating

    Let's Dream Together

    Share your bucketlist to get inspiration and local connections.

    We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.

    Costa Rica Vacations
    • Adventure
    • All-inclusive
    • Beach
    • Budget
    • Eco-tourism
    • Family
    • Group
    • Honeymoon
    • Luxury
    • Nature
    • Private
    • Rainforest
    • Romantic
    Highlights
    • Top Destinations
    • Beaches
    • Rainforests
    • Cloudforest
    • Volcanoes
    • Waterfalls
    • Surfing
    • Leisure
    • Off the Beaten Path
    • Airports
    Costa Rica Travel
    • Maps
    • Safety
    • Weather & Climate
    • Sustainability
    • Holiday Season
    • Currency
    • Driving & Car Rental
    • Getting Around
    PLACES TO GO
    • Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs
    • Monteverde Cloudforests
    • Manuel Antonio Beach & Jungle
    • Tamarindo Beach
    • Santa Theresa & Malpais Beaches
    • Puerto Viejo Beach
    • Nosara Beach
    • Jaco Beach
    • Tortuguero Rainforest
    • Corcovado Rainforest
    • Rincon de la Vieja Volcano & Waterfall
    • Nicoya Peninsula
    • Guanacaste Beaches
    • Osa Peninsula
    THINGS TO DO
    • Hot Springs
    • Zip Lines
    • Suspension Bridges
    • Horseback
    • Rappel
    • Wildlife
    • Hiking
    • Chocolate Farms
    • Whitewater Rafting
    • Coffee Farms
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Surfing
    • Sport Fishing
    • Birdwatching
    • Scuba Diving
    • Catamaran Cruise
    • Indigenous Culture
    • Yoga
    • Wellness
    • Cave Exploration
    Trustpilot 5 of 5 rated service
    Trustpilot "Excellent"
    Plan My Visit→+1 (888) 456-3212
    MessengerContact AnywhereWhatsapp ContactCall USA: +1-888-456-3212

    © 2023 Anywhere Inc. All rights reserved.Privacy Policy