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Dynastes Hercules Hercules
The King of Beetles — one of the largest beetles in the world, and part of our collection.
Quick Info
- Scientific Name: Dynastes hercules hercules (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Family: Scarabaeidae (Dynastinae — Rhinoceros Beetles)
- Origin: Guadeloupe Island, Lesser Antilles (nominate subspecies)
- Size: Males up to 173mm total (including horn) — the longest beetle in the world
What Makes It Special
If you've ever wanted to hold a beetle that feels like holding a small dinosaur, this is the one. Dynastes hercules is the real deal — the biggest, the baddest, the king.
- Males have massive thoracic and cephalic horns that form a pincer — they use it to flip rivals off branches like it's nothing.
- The elytra actually change color depending on humidity — olive-green when dry, turning black when it's humid. It's like a built-in mood ring.
- One of the strongest animals relative to body size. These guys can carry hundreds of times their own weight.
- Larvae are absolute units — they can take 1 to 2 years to fully develop and weigh over 100 grams. Chunky boys.
Quick Care
Substrate Note
Larvae do best in well-decomposed hardwood compost — the darker and softer, the better. Keep it moist but not soggy. Big larvae need big containers, so don't cheap out on space.
How I Raise Larvae
Bulk → Individual
L1–L2: Raise in bulk — about 5–10 larvae in a 5-litre container
L3: Separate individually. First couple months use 2,500 ml container, then move the ones with potential to 5,000 ml
Substrate: Rhino beetle flake soil