|
Species Dynastes tityus - Eastern Hercules Beetle
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf and Snout Beetles)
Superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Scarab, Stag and Bess Beetles)
Family Scarabaeidae (Scarab Beetles)
Subfamily Dynastinae (Rhinoceros Beetles)
Tribe Dynastini
Genus Dynastes (Hercules Beetles)
Species tityus (Eastern Hercules Beetle)
Other Common Names Rhinoceros Beetle, Unicorn Beetle Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Dynastes tityus ( Linnaeus)
Orig. Comb: Scarabaeus tityus Linnaeus 1763 Explanation of Names tityus (or tityos) is a giant of Greek mythology (Wikipedia-- Tityos).
The 'true' Hercules beetle is Dynastes hercules (Linnaeus) which ranges as far n. as Veracruz, Mexico Numbers 2 spp. n. of Mex. (1) (6 spp. in New World) Size Adult 40-60 mm long (including the "horns" of the male) and 20 to 27 mm wide (2)Identification Huge size, greenish elytra with variable amounts of dark spots. Some are nearly black. Male has massive horns projecting forward from head and pronotum.
Variations:
Range se US (TX-FL-MD-MO) (BG data) Habitat Deciduous forests. Season Mostly: Jun-Aug (BG data) Food Adults feed on rotting fruit, sap, to some extent. Life Cycle 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)Remarks This is the heaviest North American beetle, reportedly.
at high risk of endangerment due to the EAB (5)See Also Dynastes granti Horn - Grant's Hercules Beetle (Western)
Ritcher's (1966) key to separating larvae:
Claws bearing 2 setae (Fig. 332) --- Dynastes
Claws bearing 3 or 4 setae (Figs. 333 and 334) --- Strategus (2)Print References Glaser, J. 1976. The Biology of Dynastes tityus (Linn.) in Maryland (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Coleopterists Bulletin 30(2): 133-138.
Arnett, p. 179, fig. 438 (6)
Brimley, p. 207 lists for "whole season" in North Carolina. (7)
Dillon p. 551, plate LIV #1, 2 (8)
Harpootlian, p. 114, fig. 228 (9)
Papp, p. 192, figs. 655-656 (10)
White, p. 147, plate 8 (11)Internet References Hercules beetle - Blake Newton, Dept of Ento, Univ of KY, 2004
Texas Entomology - Mike Quinn, 2008 Works Cited | 1. | American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea
Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.). 2002. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL. |  |
| 2. | White Grubs and Their Allies, a Study of North American Scarabaeoid Larvae
Paul O. Ritcher. 1966. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis. 219 pp. | |
| 4. | Florida's Fabulous Insects
Mark Deyrup, Brian Kenney, Thomas C. Emmel. 2000. World Publications. |  |
| 6. | How to Know the Beetles
Ross H. Arnett, N. M. Downie, H. E. Jaques. 1980. Wm. C. Brown Publishers. | |
| 7. | Insects of North Carolina
C.S. Brimley. 1938. North Carolina Department of Agriculture. | |
| 8. | A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America
Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence. 1961. Row, Peterson, and Company. | |
| 9. | Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of South Carolina
Phillip J. Harpootlian. 2001. Clemson University Public Service. | |
| 10. | Introduction to North American Beetles
Charles S. Papp. 1984. Entomography Pubns. | |
| 11. | Peterson Field Guides: Beetles
Richard E. White. 1983. Houghton Mifflin Company. | |
|
|
|
|
