Hercules beetle: amazing abilities and everyday life of a giant

Beetles are the largest group among insects. The number of existing species reaches 400 thousand. Among the representatives of the order of winged-winged animals there are many interesting specimens that are surprising in appearance or behavior. Hercules beetle is a recognized giant and a strong man among its relatives. With a body length of up to 17 cm, it is the largest species of the genus Dynastes. The inhabitant of the tropics is completely safe, he nourishes ripe fruits.

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Hercules beetle (lat. Dynastes hercules) belongs to the family of lamellae, the genus Dynastes. Hollows are the largest beetles, which are characterized by outgrowths on the head and pronotum of males. The head is small, the antennae consist of 10 segments, end with a mace. This family includes 300 rhinoceros beetles. Among the close relatives of Hercules are scarab, elephant beetle, rhinoceros beetle.

The body size of males is 125-145 mm, but sometimes reaches record levels - 171 mm, females smaller - up to 80 mm. The body is black, covered with sparse red hairs. Like a typical representative of the winged, its front wings transformed into hard elytra. They are not inferior in strength to the chitinous cover of the body. At rest, the elytra covers the mesoscutum and upper abdomen.
Their color depends on the level of humidity of the environment. The main color is olive, brown or yellow. It is supplemented by black spots, the size and position of which can vary. There is a Hercules beetle with a bluish-gray or black elytra, such as in the photo. An imago can achieve a color change in just a few minutes. This amazing property of bugs has attracted the close attention of scientists. The rapidly reversible migration of colored pigment in the insect shell is a very rare ability.

The hind wings of insects have not atrophied; they can make small flights. Legs are long, strong jagged claws allow you to climb the trunks of trees. The front tibia is digging, with their help the insect bury itself in the deciduous litter. In the expanded form, the wingspan is 22 cm.

Interesting fact. Dynastes hercules affects not only the size, but also the mass. How much does the Hercules beetle weigh? The weight of the imago reaches 110 g, the larvae - 100 g.

Sexual dimorphism

Male and female individuals are noticeably different from each other. On the male’s head is a large black horn directed forward. The end is bent up, there are several teeth on the surface. The second horn begins on the pronotum. Its length may exceed the body size of the insect. The organ is also directed forward and bent down. Yellowish-brown hairs grow along the horn; two teeth are located on the front part.

Information. The size of the horns is an indicator of the physical health and nutritional quality of the male.

The description of the female Hercules beetle is significantly different from the description of the male. Sometimes they are mistaken for beetles of different species. Females have no horns. Elytra dark, body almost completely covered with red hairs.The size of the female is 70-80 mm, but they are inferior to males solely due to the lack of horns.

Interesting fact. The Hercules beetle was named for its extraordinary strength and endurance; it is believed that it can lift a load that is 800 times its weight. But this is just a myth, in fact, an insect with the name of an ancient Greek hero raises up to 8 kg.

Beetle larva

Larva is large, C-shaped. The integument is soft, sclerotized, covered with sparse hairs. At an early stage, the body color is white, yellowing to pupation. The head of the larva of the Hercules beetle is black, well developed. Its surface is textured, and not smooth as in other species. The body consists of 12 segments, the anus in the form of a transverse fissure. On the sides of the light torso visible dark spiracles.

The mouth apparatus is gnawing. The upper jaw is triangular in shape, on the inner edge there are two massive teeth. The larva has three pairs of jointed thoracic legs. After 1.5-2 years of development, it turns into a free-type pupa.

Habitat

Where does one of the largest insect beetles Hercules live? His homeland is South America. The giant can also be found in Central America. Regions of habitat: Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru. Some subspecies are found on the small Antilles. Insects prefer moist tropical and subtropical forests with an abundance of greenery and fruit. Where does the Hercules Beetle live? Home for the giant is forest litter. Adults hide at the foot of trees, and larvae in rotting wood. Beetles are found in mountain and lowland forests during the wet season.

Lifestyle

The structure of the beetle is closely related to its lifestyle. Adults burrow into the litter, so they have an extended front edge of the body and a powerful pronotum. Insects are active at night. They crawl under the trees in search of fallen fruits, climb the trunk to the branches. In search of food, the Hercules beetle flies from tree to tree. Its hind wings are webbed, transparent, slightly colored in olive-yellow color. The flight takes place with open elytra. A large beetle emits a loud buzz in the air.
The olfactory organ of Hercules is a short antennae on the head, ending in a mace. Before the flight of plastic, the organs open, the surface of the antennae increases, helping to better capture the surrounding odors. Hercules beetle refers to an insect with a complete transformation. This means that its life cycle includes four successive stages:

• egg;
• larva;
• pupa;
• imago.

Information about the Hercules beetle will be incomplete if you do not talk about its enemies. The best defense against enemies is the appearance of the giant. Predatory insects do not fight with him. But, despite its impressive size, it also becomes prey for animals. In the tropical jungle where the beetle lives, rodents, reptiles, and omnivorous mammals prey on it. One of the main enemies are bats. Parasites in the form of ticks and nematodes undermine the health of insects.

The helpless larva lurks even more dangers. It is attacked by ants, ground beetles and predatory scolopendras. Skolya wasp is one of the most dangerous enemies of lamellar beetles. A large hymenopteran insect parasitizes on larvae. With a well-aimed injection, the wasp paralyzes the victim and lays an egg on it. The born scoli larva eats on the body of the beetle larva without affecting vital organs. White-bearded bakers do not deny themselves the pleasure to enjoy the protein delicacy from the rotten stump of wild boar.

Information. The Hercules beetle species has 13 subspecies that have spread throughout the islands of the Caribbean and South America. Their representatives slightly differ in the size of individuals and the color of the elytra.

Propagation Features

The mating period of beetles falls on the rainy season. In South America, this time is from July to December. Peace-loving and phlegmatic males become irreconcilable fighters when it comes to courting females.Two horns of the beetle form peculiar mites with which they try to push through the elytra of the enemy. With a successful capture, Hercules damages the chitinous cover of the opponent. The battle continues until one of the competitors falls on his back or retreats as a result of injury. The lethal outcome of the battle is not ruled out. Only the strongest will be able to continue his race.

Fertilized females of the Hercules beetle paw dig holes in the rotten trunks, then lay eggs. Clutch can be up to 100 eggs with a diameter of 5 mm. This is a primitive manifestation of caring for offspring. It hides from enemies and is provided with food. After 4-6 weeks, larvae appear in the food substrate.

In larvae, 3 ages are distinguished:

• the first - an average of 50 days;
• the second is a duration of 50-55 days;
• the third is the longest stage of 400-450 days.

The third phase of the development of the Hercules beetle is the pupa. In coleopterans, it is free or open. Before pupation in the cradle, the larva grows to enormous size and gains impressive weight. Cases were recorded when it weighed 120 g. Before pupation, the larva erects a special chamber in rotten wood, earth or litter. The cradle is different from the cocoon material. For its manufacture, natural elements are used, not silk threads produced by the insect's own glands. The larva forms an egg-shaped cavity, one of the walls of which is made of pressed soil.

If the larva is absolutely not like an imago, then the pupa has legs, the beginnings of organs, and males have horns. The head is bent under the chest. Body color is red-brown. From the other stages of development, it is characterized by immobility. The doll does not feed, its legs are motionless, bent at the knees. This phase consists of one age. The pupal stage lasts about 1 month. The insect will not be able to move until the adult develops under the cuticle of the chrysalis. Before the appearance of adults, the integument becomes darker. Birth takes place away from prying eyes. After the appearance of the beetle, its elytra is soft and light.

During this period, they are especially vulnerable. The young beetle needs time to carefully spread its thin wings and harden the elytra. The insect sits in the shelter until the elytra acquire a characteristic olive-yellow color and a safe density. The chitin cover will acquire full hardness no earlier than in three weeks. At the age of one month, male Hercules begin fighting for the female and the possibility of procreation.

How long does the Hercules beetle live?

The life cycle of an insect begins with the stage of the egg, which takes 4-6 weeks. Then the larva hatches. This is the longest stage, under favorable conditions (humidity about 70-80%, temperature + 25 ° C, a lot of wood fibers) it is 1.5 years, but it can take up to two years. The life expectancy of an adult Hercules beetle is 3-6 months. In adverse conditions, the life cycle increases. If the male has not fertilized the female, he can live up to 12 months.

Interesting fact. The development time of the larva depends on sex - males grow 2-3 months longer than females.

Nutrition of adults and larvae

Adult beetles eat plant foods. The basis of the diet is juicy overripe fruits. Hercules will not refuse to eat fermented juice. The beetle can eat a large fruit for about a week, until it is fully drained. Beetle larvae are saprophagous; they feed on decaying wood or substrate from the ground and plant debris. In the gut of insects, there are bacteria that process cellulose. At the first stage of development, the larvae eat soft fibers, growing up, they switch to more coarse food. They eat a lot and almost without a break.

Relationship with man

Adults and larvae do not harm agriculture. Because of the awesome appearance of the insect, the question arises whether the beetle is dangerous for humans? Definitely not, he is a vegetarian, does not attack people, does not tolerate diseases, is not poisonous.Fans of exotic fauna keep giants at home, without fear they take pets in their hands. If you know the insect better, then it turns out that it benefits. What is the use of the Hercules beetle? Its larva is involved in the processing of organics, grinding it and passing through the intestines. It refers to saproxylophages - insects that eat wood at the last stage of decomposition.

Home Content

In the XX century, due to the reduction in the number of Hercules beetles, they began to be bred in insectariums. The content of insects is available not only to entomological scientists, but also simply to lovers of exotic fauna. For a pair of beetles or a male and two females, a container with minimum parameters of 50 × 50 cm and a height of 100 cm is needed. A special substrate of peat, wood, oak leaves is poured onto the bottom.

Attention. All ingredients taken in the natural environment must be treated with high temperature, this will get rid of ticks and other parasites.

On the ground lay several snags, pieces of bark for climbing beetles. The optimum temperature for insectarians is 20-25 ° C, humidity within 70%. No additional lighting required. Additional heat sources are not needed, they will dry out the air and food. Beginners in the breeding of tropical insects believe that raising the temperature will positively affect pets. But this is not so. At + 28 ° C, the larvae become lethargic, poorly fed. Heat can lead to their death. It is not difficult to maintain the required humidity level; it is enough to spray the substrate daily from a spray bottle with water.

What does the Hercules beetle eat? In captivity, it is not necessary to feed them only tropical fruits. Adults eat soft juicy apples, pears, peaches, grapes, bananas. The fruits are put in a feeder and replaced every day. Drosophila flies appear near the fruit, but they are not dangerous for beetles. Larvae eat rotten wood and a mixture of fallen leaves, it is recommended to give them dry dog ​​food.

Reproduction of captive beetles

To breed insects in a container with a volume of at least 100 l, a substrate is poured with a layer of 30-35 cm. It must contain rotten wood. Deciduous varieties of trees are suitable - oak, birch, beech. The soil needs moderate hydration; it should not dry out or become waterlogged. Both conditions are harmful to eggs and larvae. It is believed that each larva will require 10-15 liters of substrate. It must be replaced with a significant reduction in the layer or a large number of excrement (more than 50%).

Attention. Small larvae of the first age can be kept in a group of 10 pieces, and individuals of the last age should be seated in separate containers. Large larvae do not like competitors in the division of food and space.

Adult larvae need a large amount of compost. When changing material, it is recommended to leave part of the litter. The old substrate is mixed with the new. This will help maintain beneficial bacteria that have multiplied in the litter. Familiar cultures will prevent digestive upset of the larva.

The end result of proper care for almost two months is a huge fleshy larva. In some cases, the owners recorded a weight of 140 g. The larva is ready for pupation in the substrate. The pupa will be placed in a special crib made of particles of wood and plants. Before the appearance of the young beetle, the shell of the pupa becomes thinner and becomes like paper. Young Hercules tears it apart and is gradually freed. In the insectarium, he climbs onto a snag where darkening and hardening of the elytra takes place.

Why does the Hercules Beetle disappear?

Human economic activity leads to a reduction in the natural areas of habitable insects, as well as to air and water pollution. Mass deforestation of tropical forests deprives beetles of their homes and food. To develop offspring, they need old tropical trees with rotten wood. Why is the Hercules Beetle exterminated? There are several reasons why locals prey on giant insects:

1. Large fleshy larvae are used as food.
2. Beetles and their horns are used in folk medicine. In South America, they are considered a medicine that restores strength and health.
3. Amazing insect has become a desirable object for numerous collectors. A rare beetle is expensive, so they are caught for sale.

An unreasonable attitude towards nature led to the threat of extinction of the species. Hercules beetle is listed in the IUCN Red List, measures are being taken to restore the number of insects. In the insectariums of European zoos breeding and study of the species. In France, in the city of Besancon there is a pedigree book of the Hercules beetle.