Rhinoceros Beetle - Keryk Beetle
Rhinoceros Beetle - Oryctes nasicornis L.
This beetle is characterized by a large, strongly convex body of dark brown color, with a shiny sheen on top.
The rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes nasicornis), an insect of the Scarabaeidae family, is found everywhere except for the tundra and taiga.
The body is massive (25-40 mm in length); the coloration is chestnut-brown; the legs are thick and strong, with the front legs being digging legs, and the hind legs having supporting teeth and spines. Length is 25–40 mm. The legs and the underside of the body are covered in reddish hairs. Males have a two- or three-pronged elevation on their back, and a well-developed horn on their head. The exact significance of the horn on the beetle's head is still unknown; it apparently serves as a means of protection and defense. With its horn, clumsy gait, and massive armor, the beetle resembles the African animal — the rhinoceros. Females do not have a horn or it is poorly developed.
For laying eggs, the female burrows into tree hollows, decayed stumps, or tree trunks (of birch, oak, willow, and other species), as well as into decomposed manure, garbage heaps, and piles of shavings and sawdust. Beetles die after laying eggs without emerging outside. The egg phase lasts about a month. The larva that hatches from the egg lives in the substrate, where it feeds throughout its life (this can now be observed). Rhinoceros beetle larvae develop into huge creatures, up to 8 centimeters long. The rotten wood is soft enough to be pierced with a finger.
The larvae use their powerful brown mandibles to burrow into the lower part of dead wood, creating tunnels that extend underground to a depth of about one meter. They occasionally damage the roots of grapevines, lemon trees, roses, and some other plants, sometimes causing significant harm. The larva molts three times (it has three stages) and after the last molt transforms into a pupa in a specially made cradle. The larva emerges from the egg in the summer and overwinters for 3 or 4 seasons, depending on the climatic conditions and geographical latitude of the area. It pupates in the spring. The pupal phase is short - from 12 days to a month.
The beetle flies on warm summer evenings and often comes to light. Many sources report that, from the perspective of the laws of physics, the rhinoceros beetle should not be able to fly. However, it flies perfectly and can cover distances of over 50 kilometers without stopping (marked beetles have crossed the English Channel). There are various hypotheses about the principles of this beetle's flight. But how exactly they fly remains a mystery.
The rhinoceros beetle is capable of moving a load 850 times greater than its own weight. To visualize the power of insects, one should recall that a large animal like an elephant can lift a weight equal to 30-50% of its own weight, while a human can lift a weight equal to 50-80% of their own weight. Thus, if a person weighing about 70 kg had the strength of a rhinoceros beetle, they could easily move several railway cars weighing 7 tons!
Humans have long noticed the ability of insects to predict changes in the weather. Thus, from numerous folk signs, it is known that before bad weather, rhinoceros beetles buzz louder than usual.
Distribution: Northern Tien Shan, territory of the Issyk-Kul basin, Western Tien Shan,
Pryfergansk regions of Kyrgyzstan
Insects of Kyrgyzstan
