Xylotrupes gideon

The brown rhinoceros beetle, Xylotrupes gideon is a brilliant species of large scarab beetle belonging to the subfamily Dynastinae. They are commonly used in beetle fights in Asia, where large sums of money are betted on their outcome.

Xylotrupes gideon
Xylotrupes gideon, male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Scarabaeidae
Subfamily:
Dynastinae
Genus:
Xylotrupes
Species:
X. gideon
Binomial name
Xylotrupes gideon
(Linnaeus, 1767)
Synonyms
  • Scarabaeus gideon Linnaeus, 1767

Subspecies
  • Xylotrupes gideon borneensis Minck, 1920
  • Xylotrupes gideon gideon (Linnaeus, 1767)
  • Xylotrupes gideon lakorensis Silvestre, 2002
  • Xylotrupes gideon sawuensis Silvestre, 2002
  • Xylotrupes gideon sondaicus Silvestre, 2002

[1][2]

Distribution

This species is widespread in Indonesia: Java (nomotypical form), Borneo (borneensis), Sunda Islands and Moluccas.

Description
Xylotrupes gideon, male and females. Museum specimen

Xylotrupes gideon can reach a length of 3.5–7 centimetres (1.4–2.8 in).[3] As usual with rhinoceros beetles there is a great difference between the genders. Males are larger than females. They have two chitinous bifurcated horns, a thick thoracic horn and a smaller cephalic horn, which they use to eliminate their rivals during the mating period.[3] These beetles are shiny dark red, dark brown, or black in coloration. The eyes are located on each side of the head. When disturbed these beetles make a hissing noise, produced by rubbing the tip of the abdomen against the edge the elytra.[4]

The larvae develop in decaying vegetable matter and take usually two years in development, the adult beetles live 2–4 months. A female can lay about 20-30 eggs but it depends on the place where they lived .[5] 2-

See also

References
  1. Biolib
  2. Catalogue of life
  3. Natural World
  4. "Xylotrupes gideon (Rhinoceros beetle) - JCU". Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  5. Brisbane Insects
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