The elephant beetle is a scarab beetle, first described by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. It has two sub-species – Megasoma elephas elephas and Megasoma elephas iijimai.
Size: 7 – 12 cm (2.75–4.75 in)
Color: They are black, with thick hair on their elytra, giving them a yellow appearance.
Other Characteristic Features: Males have two large horns, one from their head and the other from their prothorax. Females do not have any horns.
The larvae are white, C-shaped grubs with three pairs of legs and a brown head. This stage lasts for 29 months.
Pupae remain in this stage for 5 weeks.
Females lay their eggs in dead or decaying logs, from which it takes three weeks for them to hatch.
| Lifespan | 1-3 months |
| Distribution | Central America, Mexico, and South America |
| Habitat | Tropical rainforests and other forests |
| Seasons active | When rainy and warm weather is present |
| Host plants | Trees like poinciana and lychee |
| Diet of adults | Fruits like longan, lychee, pineapple and the bark and sap of trees such as poinciana. |
The adults cause damage to ripe fruit, which can spread to others quickly and chew through the bark of certain trees. Also, larvae can chew the roots of certain plants while feeding on organic matter found in the soil.
Image Source: static.inaturalist.org, ourbreathingplanet.com, preview.redd.it, i.ytimg.com, live.staticflickr.com
The elephant beetle is a scarab beetle, first described by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. It has two sub-species – Megasoma elephas elephas and Megasoma elephas iijimai.
Size: 7 – 12 cm (2.75–4.75 in)
Color: They are black, with thick hair on their elytra, giving them a yellow appearance.
Other Characteristic Features: Males have two large horns, one from their head and the other from their prothorax. Females do not have any horns.
The larvae are white, C-shaped grubs with three pairs of legs and a brown head. This stage lasts for 29 months.
Pupae remain in this stage for 5 weeks.
Females lay their eggs in dead or decaying logs, from which it takes three weeks for them to hatch.
| Lifespan | 1-3 months |
| Distribution | Central America, Mexico, and South America |
| Habitat | Tropical rainforests and other forests |
| Seasons active | When rainy and warm weather is present |
| Host plants | Trees like poinciana and lychee |
| Diet of adults | Fruits like longan, lychee, pineapple and the bark and sap of trees such as poinciana. |
The adults cause damage to ripe fruit, which can spread to others quickly and chew through the bark of certain trees. Also, larvae can chew the roots of certain plants while feeding on organic matter found in the soil.
Image Source: static.inaturalist.org, ourbreathingplanet.com, preview.redd.it, i.ytimg.com, live.staticflickr.com
