CREATURE FEATURE – Staghorn Beetles

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Dr. Brady Barr shows us a rhinoceros (also called Hercules) staghorn beetle in this weeks AJHQ+A.
Growing up to six inches in length, the stag beetles are some of the biggest beetle species. All beetles can fly, and the staghorns have especially impressive wings: when extended, they can measure over 12 inches from tip-to-tip!

These beetles are know for their spiky appendages, which is something that grows out of the body. Their appendages can look like the horns of a deer, rhinoceros, or even a triceratops! Although the horns may look dangerous, they aren’t used for biting. Instead, they are only used for fights with other male beetles. Very few injuries occur during these fights, as they are largely for show and end when one beetle is flipped on its back.

Stag beetle larva feed on decaying wood and can take up to 5 years to grow into an adult. Adult beetles only live for the summer, typically May through August, and are thought to not eat at all!

Staghorn beetles are popular pets in Eastern Asia. Would you like to keep a staghorn for a pet?

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