Eastern Hercules Beetle (Dynastes tityus)
Detailing the physical features, habits, territorial reach and other identifying qualities of the Eastern Hercules Beetle.
Updated: 3/1/2018; Authored By Staff Writer; Content ©www.InsectIdentification.org
Eastern Hercules Beetle
The speckled and horned Eastern Hercules Beetle is a Scarab Beetle that is as strong and large as a rhinoceros compared to other beetles.
This massive beetle can be found in hardwood forests in the Eastern U.S.. Despite their immense size and heft, they can fly very well. As members of the Rhinoceros beetle family, males have two horn-like pincers on their head, while females lack them. They are likely used in battle with other males over territory. Both genders are a creamy, yellowish color with black dots that look like droplets. Their overall color can darken when they are fully hydrated and fed.
Larvae eat decaying wood from a variety of dead trees like pines, oak, maples and others. They grow for 2 years before becoming mature adults, pupating inside a rotted tree in a protective cell made of soil and their own feces. The larvae finish pupating in autumn, but stay inside the tree until warmer temperatures return in the spring. Adults are attracted to rotting fruits, tree sap and lights at night.
