Eastern Hercules Beetle - Dynastes tityus

Eastern Hercules

Got a live male Dynastes tityus today found by a friend in Aberdeen, Maryland. Once it's on my hand it clings to it with its strong legs. No biting or pinching. Put beetle in plastic aquarium filled with dirt. It burrows its way throughout aquarium. So far it loves to eat watermelon and natural maple syrup. It picked up the watermelon piece with its horns to move it. It hasn't eaten the strawberry, blueberry or apple at all yet. It drinks water from sponge. It's very active at night. It didn't have an odor at first but gives off a distinct smell - is that to attract a mate or warn other males of its presence?

… bug2009, 30 July, 2009 - 9:41pm

IN THE GARDEN

WE HAVE HAD A FEW OF THESE WONDERFUL CREATURES TO ADMIRE.

WE DID HAVE A BIT OF A TIME IDENTIFYING IT.WE LIVE ON THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY, 6MILES NORTH OF BEAUFORT NORTH CAROLINA

… Lynda Dring, 26 July, 2009 - 3:51pm

Eastern Hercules Beetle

I found both a male and a female Eastern Hercules Beetle in my flower bed as I was preparing it for spring.Both were no longer alive. The male measured 2 inches in length - the female a bit shorter. The female had similar black spots but was a light bluish color rather than green and had no pincher. Very interesting. Maryville,TN 2/15/09

… Sandi Scrugham, 16 February, 2009 - 6:37pm

BIG BEETLE

I found a beetle identical to this one lying upside-down in a gutter in the Winston-Salem, NC office park where I work. It was dead, but certainly the largest insect that I have ever come across. I found it yesterday (8/18/08). It appeared completely intact - so I believe it had died within a day or two of me finding it. It is now proudly displayed in my cubicle at 120 Club Oaks Court in Winston-Salem.

… Ken Householder, 19 August, 2008 - 7:48am

Eastern Hercules Beetle

Western Kentucky, July 22, 2008
I found one flipped over on his back at work, just outside an overhead door; so, I rescued him and carried him around to show him off, then released him in a small patch of wooded area by the business. He was almost big enough to fill up the bottom of a standard size plastic cup!

… eliezadun, 22 July, 2008 - 8:24am

hercules beetle

I walked up on one while running an errand yesterday. I have never seen anything like it. I am in Winston Salem, NC. It looked like a polished rock. It had a longer body and a lighter shell than this one. I think it was dead, but I did not touch it since it looked like it could bite my finger.

… Kim Patterson, 18 July, 2008 - 9:10am

Eastern Hercules Beetle

20 February 2008
SFC Dodd found this beetle today in front of our office building located in Anniston, Alabama. We had no idea what this was and after some initial research found your website. She found out that this was a male and was not indiginous to the area. I just thought this was an interesting find!

… sazyjessy, 20 February, 2008 - 3:07pm

Is indigenous to Alabama

Good find--I've only found them in the summer in North Carolina. There are indigenous to Alabama, being found all over the east, west to Texas.

… Cotinis, 20 February, 2008 - 5:45pm

Hercules Beetle

My wife and I recently found what we think was a rhino beetle, but after we found this site we believe that it is a Hercules. It was sitting atop a broom handle and was about 2 1/2 inches long. We were so ecstatic because neither of us had seen one and we knew because of the size of it that it was something special. We have a pic, but i am not sure how to attach it here. Its not a real clear one because it was taken with a cell phone. We are located in Elkmont, AL. I thought I never would say a bug was pretty, but this one captured our attention.

… mewilburn, 16 July, 2008 - 7:31pm

Hercules Beetle

I just found a female hercules beetle in Birmingham, Alabama. My husband and I were making a run to Publix and found it sitting by the building. It was already dead so of course I collected it for my classroom nature center! My students are going to LOVE it!

… Leigh Mott, 15 July, 2009 - 2:23pm

This Huge Beetle

I live in Pulaski, TN and found one of these female hercules beetles in my den. How in the world does such a huge bug get into the house? Anyway, it was crawling out to the middle of the room as if to say..."here I am". I captured it and released it into the yard. I had never seen one before. I don't know anything about it...is it something to be concerned with...especially since it was IN my house? It was beautiful but BIG!

… christyg, 27 July, 2009 - 3:22pm

No concern

These beetles are totally harmless to humans and structures. Getting inside a house is really something--I'm not sure how that could happen. My guess is that it was attracted to a light at night, perched on the house, and then later crawled in (through a crack?) as it sought shelter during the day. (That's only a guess.)

… Cotinis, 28 July, 2009 - 6:01am

eastern hercules beetle

I searched the internet today and found this site. I unlocked the door at my work today and encountered one of these beautiful beetles. I took pics with my camera phone. I am trying to upload them. He was huge(about 2 1/4" long). I am in Conroe, Texas and never seen them here before. Tell me more about them if you have more info. It would be greatly appreciated

… ahmcmahan, 14 July, 2006 - 7:17pm

July 2007 Charlotte, NC

i just found one today in charlotte, nc. he was crawling around the parking lot during the day. i picked him up with a stick a put him under an oak tree. he was about 31/2 inches and had the spotted wings.

… hanleyk, 5 July, 2007 - 2:10pm

More info on beetle

More information is on the guide page for this species.

… Cotinis, 14 July, 2006 - 9:25pm

Excellent find Mr Coin! I hop

Excellent find Mr Coin! I hope to collect a couple of this species in the future for photography and possibly to establish a breeding population. Your specimen looks almost identical to one I found in the early 90s further west in Rutherford County, NC

… Malkavian, 14 May, 2005 - 11:13pm

America's Biggest...

Beautiful shots of a magnificent creature Patrick,

If I am not mistaken,this is the largest beetle in the US...isn't it?

I've tried locating it's relative, the Ox Beetle (also a biggie), while here in Florida, but to no avail...

great shots!
-Tony

… Tony DiTerlizzi, 30 June, 2004 - 1:14pm

Thaks, Ox beetle, on my list too

Thanks for compliments on photos. I'm getting better at beetles. The shininess is real tricky--you end up just photographing glare. The polarizer helps. Oddly, my camera overexposes with it--I don't know why. Maybe the meter is adjusted to always have some glare.

Unfortunatley, most of the Hercules I find are dead--they hit lighted walls real hard, I guess. I just found a dead male and female today at the same site I found the live male a few days ago. (They were below the very same wall, in fact--all of them have been at the same spot!)

Ox Beetle--Strategus aloeus. It's not here in NC, though we do have Strategus antaeus and Strategus splendens, according to the NCSU entomology collection. I guess those are similar. I didn't know we had those--will have to be on the lookout. Sounds like coastal plain species, according to Scarab Beetles of South Carolina. Now I have a new beetle to long for.

I have seen the related Xyloryctes jamaciensis--a couple of live females, and one freshly dead male. All found at lights. I think the photos are here on bugguide.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 30 June, 2004 - 2:34pm

Live Hercules at Imagination Station in Wilson, NC

We just found a beautiful male Hercules beetle in our yard. We thought he was so unusual. We took him to the local Museum (Imagination Station )where they have exhibits of live beetles. They were thrilled. He was about 2 inches long. Your photos helped us identify him.
Thanks,
AABD
Wilson, NC

… Hercules, 13 August, 2004 - 2:57pm

Ox Beetles

I love the males with the 3 long horns, I used to see them quite a bit when I was growing up here. Usually they are seen after rain as (I believe) they burrow in the sand.

The Hercules Beetles don't make it to South Florida (and not up in Mass. either) so I'll hafta come visit if I wanna see a live one:)

… Tony DiTerlizzi, 30 June, 2004 - 4:02pm