The hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) is by far the most famous of the rhinoceros beetles. Native to the rain forests of Central and South America, their title is well deserved, with some males reaching 6.75 inches (170mm) in length. This scarab is most noted for its thoracic and cephalic horns, which many times will grow longer than the body of the beetle itself. This adaptation is primarily used during brawls with other males. It is not only the largest of the 6 species in the Dynastes genus, but also the largest of the entire beetle order.Look closely and you will notice many thick hairs on the underside of the thoracic horn. Another common feature of this species is the small black spots which develop on the shell. From: http://www. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - Trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - Spiders, Scorpions, etc. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Symphypleona - globular springtails Subclass Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) Subclass Dicondylia Monura - extinct Thysanura (common bristletails) Subclass Pterygota Diaphanopteroidea - extinct Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Blattodea (cockroaches) Mantodea (mantids) Isoptera (termites) Zoraptera Grylloblattodea Dermaptera (earwigs) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Orthoptera   (grasshoppers, crickets... For other uses, see Beetle (disambiguation). ... Genera not a complete list Agestrata Augosoma Canthon Chalcosoma Chelorrhina Cheirolasia Cheirotonus Cotinis Dynastes Eudicella Goliathus Megsoma Onthophagus Pachnoda Phanaeus Plusiotis Ranzania Rhomborrhina Stephanorrhina Xylotrupes The scarab is a type of beetle noted for rolling dung into spherical balls and pushing it, as well as its habit of laying its... In biology, binomial nomenclature is a standard convention used for naming species. ... A painting of Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as Carl von Linné  listen, and who wrote under the Latinized name Carolus Linnaeus (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of taxonomy. ... 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Beetle (disambiguation). ... A rainforest is a forested biome with high annual rainfall. ... Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Genera not a complete list Agestrata Augosoma Canthon Chalcosoma Chelorrhina Cheirolasia Cheirotonus Cotinis Dynastes Eudicella Goliathus Megsoma Onthophagus Pachnoda Phanaeus Plusiotis Ranzania Rhomborrhina Stephanorrhina Xylotrupes The scarab is a type of beetle noted for rolling dung into spherical balls and pushing it, as well as its habit of laying its... Diagram of a tsetse fly, showing the head, thorax and abdomen The thorax is a division of an animals body, that lies between the head and the abdomen. ... Charles Darwin, father of the theory of evolution by natural selection. ... For other uses, see Beetle (disambiguation). ...

Hercules beetles are highly sexually dimorphic, with the female generally being much smaller and without any horn whatsoever. The larval stage of the hercules beetle will last two to three years, with the larva growing up to 4 1/2 inches in length and weighing up to 120 grams. Much of the life of the larva is spent tunneling through rotting wood, its primary food source. After the larval period, transformation into a pupae and then moulting will occur, the beetle then emerging as an adult. Adults will roam the forest floor in search of decaying fruit. Male and female Common Pheasant, illustrating the large degree of sexual dimorphism between the sexes Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. ... A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ... Chrysalis of Gulf Fritillary Georgetown, South Carolina A pupa (plural: pupae or pupas) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. ... In birds, moulting or molting is the routine shedding of old feathers. ... A rainforest is a forested biome with high annual rainfall. ...

External links

• http://www.naturalworlds.org/scarabaeidae/species/Dynastes_hercules.htm
• http://entweb.clemson.edu/museum/beetles/exotic/btle26.htm