Species Dynastes tityus - Eastern Hercules Beetle

Rhinoceros Beetle, Unicorn Beetle

Author is Linnaeus 1758. Species name tityus (or tityos) is a giant of Greek mythology (Wikipedia).

Six species in the New World, two found in the U.S. (1)

Adult 40-60 mm long (including the "horns" of the male) and 20 to 27 mm wide (2)

Huge size, greenish elytra with variable amounts of dark spots. Some are nearly black. Male has massive horns projecting forward from head and pronotum.

Eastern United States, north into southern New York, Pennsylvannia, west to Indiana, Texas.

Deciduous forests.

Late spring and summer. May-August (South Carolina). April to August (Texas)

Adults feed on rotting fruit, sap, to some extent.

Larvae live in rotting heartwood of logs and stumps, particularly hardwoods, but sometimes pine. Adults sometimes gather on logs (mating sites) (3). Males fight over breeding sites, such as cavities in oaks (4). Pupation occurs in late summer. Adults hibernate in pupal cells in decaying wood. Eggs laid following summer. Large larvae overwinter suggesting a two year life cycle. (2)

This is the heaviest North American beetle, allegedly.

Arnett, p. 421 (3)

Deyrup, p. 94--photo major male, back cover--photo minor(?) male (4)

Dillon p. 551, plate LIV #1, 2 (5)

Harpootlian, p. 114, fig. 228 (6)

White, p. 147, plate 8 (7)

Drees, p. 101, figs. 144 (8)

Arnett, p. 179, fig. 438 (9)

Papp, p. 192, figs. 655-656 (10)

Brimley, p. 207 lists for "whole season" in North Carolina. (11)