Dynastes grantii

Western Hercules Beetle
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Subfamily: Dynastinae
Genus: Dynastes
Species: D. granti
Binomial name
Dynastes grantii
Horn, 1870

The Western Hercules Beetle (Dynastes grantii) is a species of rhinoceros beetle that lives in Arizona and Utah[1] and in Mexico. It appears in August or September, and grows to a size of 50–80 millimeters (2.0–3.1 in). The imagos usually live 2–4 months, and the larvae may spend 2–3 years before they turn into adults. They are nocturnal and often attracted to lights and they are among the biggest beetles found in the U.S. They are also kept as pets in captivity or used in beetle fighting, most commonly in countries in Asia such as Japan where they are sold in pet shops. They are particularly common around Payson, Arizona. Their grayish color turns to near black when wet or moist. They feed on tree sap in the wild by making a small wound in the tree, but this behavior is not harmful to the tree.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Eric R. Eaton & Kenn Kaufman (2007). "Rhinoceros beetles and others". Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 146–147. ISBN 978-0-618-15310-7.


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