Hercules Fact Sheet Common Name: Hercules Beetle

Scientific Name: hercules

Wild Status: Unknown (possibly Endangered)

Habitat: Rainforest

Country: Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Lesser Antilles, Trinidada and Tobago, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru

Shelter: In the forest

Life Span: up to 3 years

Size: 6.5 inches long

Details

The Hercules beetle is a large beetle native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. At up to 6.5 inches in length, it is the longest of all and ranks amongst the largest of all flying . Hercules beetles display a high level of sexual dimorphism, with the males growing an enlarged horn which is used for competing for mates. Their lifespan is up to three years, but as much as two years of that is spent in larval form. While the larvae feed on rotting wood, adult beetles are frugivores.

Cool Facts

When confronted by a potential predator, Hercules beetles can make a huffing noise by rubbing their abdomen against their wing casings. This process is known as . The carapace of Hercules beetles changes colors based on the ambient humidity. Pound for pound, the Hercules beetle is one of the strongest in the world. An adult beetle can easily lift over 100 times its own bodyweight! A Hercules beetle's horn is not actually a true horn, but a projection of its exoskeleton.

Taxonomic Breakdown

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Family: : Dynastes Species: D. hercules

Conservation & Helping

The Hercules beetle has not been assessed at this time, but it may be endangered due to habitat loss.

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