European rhinoceros beetle

European rhinoceros beetle
European rhinoceros beetle
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Subfamily: Dynastinae
Genus: Oryctes
Species: O. nasicornis
Binomial name
Oryctes nasicornis
(Linnaeus, 1758)

The European rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes nasicornis) is a large flying beetle (6 cm) that inhabits the Palaearctic region. It is the only representative of the Dynastinae family found in Northern Europe.

The rhinoceros beetle lives from wood and the large larvae can be found in rotting wood stumps and around sawdust. At the margin of its distribution, the beetle is often found in connection with sawmills and horse racing tracks.

Pupa
Egg

The mammoth wasp is a parasite of European rhinoceros beetle larva, since the female lays one egg inside this beetle. When the egg hatches the mammoth wasp larva will feed on the beetle larva.

Dim the beetle from the Disney & Pixar film, A Bug's Life is a European rhinoceros beetle.

Further reading

See also

External links