Rhino Beetle

Rhinoceros or rhino beetles are a memeber of the small five which go by many names: technically a scarab beetle, this insect is also known as a Hercules beetle, Unicorn beetle, and a horn beetle in certain areas. Instantly recognisable, and often associated with safari imagery, the rhino beetle is a much loved, if not diminutive find on any safari outing.

One of the largest of beetles in the world, they are also the strongest animals on the planet, proportionally, able to lift up to 850 times their own weight. In comparison, the ant, typically noted for being able to lift large weights many times its own body size and weight, can lift up to and around 100 times its own body weight. This being said, there are more than 300 known species of the rhino beetle, inhabiting areas of Asia and Africa, all sporting their own characteristics and physical traits.

These hardy, large beetles can reach sizes of up to 60 millimeters in length, and have abdomens protected by a thick exoskeleton and a pair of thick wings. These wings act together with membranous under-wings, combining to give the beetle limited flight. It’s not flight, however, that provides the rhino beetle’s best defence against its natural predators: being largely nocturnal, the rhino beetle is often near-undetectable by animals on the prowl, nestled as it is likely to be in long vegetation or around the base of a tree.

None of these factors are quite as intimidating as its fourth and most notable defense mechanisim, however: the rhino beetle combines its impressive size and spiny appearance with a loud and long hissing squeak in order to scare its enemies away when disturbed.

Larval stages for these creatures last up to several years with some, and each female lays about fifty eggs. Larva eat rotting wood and compost, absorbing nutrients and important enzymes during this initial phase of their growth. Adult diets consist of plant sap and fruit, in very moderate amounts.