Dynastes neptunus

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Dynastes neptunus
Dynastes neptunus.jpg
Male (left) and female
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Genus: Dynastes
Species:
D. neptunus
Binomial name
Dynastes neptunus
Quensel, 1805

Dynastes neptunus is a beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. [1] D. neptunus is very similar to the Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) but differs from it in slightly larger size and more of a slender and curved horns. [2]

Contents

Description

D. neptunus is 12 to 15.5 cm (4.7 to 6.1 inches) long [3] with a black body. Sexual dimorphism is present in the species; for example, males having large ''horns'' on their heads and are much smoother than females. This species is similar to the hercules beetle but is larger and has slender, curved horns. [2]

Distribution

This species lives in the northwestern regions of South America in the countries of Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela. [4]

Diet

Close-up of the male head Dynastes neptunus 003.jpg
Close-up of the male head

Larvae feed on decaying, rotten wood and adults will eat fruit. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarabaeidae</span> Family of beetles

The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 35,000 species of beetles worldwide; they are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family has undergone significant change in recent years. Several subfamilies have been elevated to family rank, and some reduced to lower ranks. The subfamilies listed in this article are in accordance with those in Catalog of Life (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarabaeoidea</span> Superfamily of beetles

Scarabaeoidea is a superfamily of beetles, the only subgroup of the infraorder Scarabaeiformia. Around 35,000 species are placed in this superfamily and some 200 new species are described each year. Its constituent families are also undergoing revision presently, and the family list below is only preliminary. This superfamily includes some of the largest beetles extant today, including rhinoceros beetles, (Dynastinae), the Hercules beetle and Goliath beetles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hercules beetle</span> Species of beetle

The Hercules beetle is a species of rhinoceros beetle native to the rainforests of southern Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Lesser Antilles. It is the longest extant species of beetle in the world, and is also one of the largest flying insects in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dynastinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

Dynastinae or rhinoceros beetles are a subfamily of the scarab beetle family (Scarabaeidae). Other common names – some for particular groups of rhinoceros beetles – include Hercules beetles, unicorn beetles or horn beetles. Over 1500 species and 225 genera of rhinoceros beetles are known.

<i>Dynastes tityus</i> Species of beetle

Dynastes tityus, the eastern Hercules beetle, is a species of rhinoceros beetle native to the Eastern United States. The adult's elytra are green, gray or tan, with black markings, and the whole animal, including the male's horns, may reach 60 mm (2.4 in) in length. The larvae feed on decaying wood from various trees.

<i>Phanaeus vindex</i> Species of beetle

Phanaeus vindex, the rainbow scarab, is a North American species of true dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in eastern and central United States and in adjacent far northern Mexico. It is the most widespread species of Phanaeus in the United States and it has a wide habitat tolerance. It may hybridize with the generally less common P. difformis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titan beetle</span> Genus of beetles

The titan beetle is a Neotropical longhorn beetle, the sole species in the genus Titanus, and one of the largest known beetles.

<i>Macrodontia cervicornis</i> Species of beetle

Macrodontia cervicornis, also known as the sabertooth longhorn beetle, is one of the largest beetles, if one allows for the enormous mandibles of the males, from which it derives both of the names in its binomen: Macrodontia means "long tooth", and cervicornis means "deer antler". Measurements of insect length normally exclude legs, jaws, or horns, but if jaws are included, the longest known specimen of M. cervicornis is 17.7 cm; the longest known specimen of Dynastes hercules, a beetle species with enormous horns, is 17.5 cm, and the longest known beetle excluding either jaws or horns is Titanus giganteus, at 16.7 cm.

<i>Dynastes</i> Genus of beetles

Dynastes is a genus of large beetles belonging to the family Scarabaeidae. They occur in the Nearctic realm and in the Neotropical realm, from the United States to Brazil; four North American species, three with distributions extending from Central America either north or south, and two species endemic to South America.

<i>Scarabaeus sacer</i> Species of beetle

Scarabaeus sacer, common name sacred scarab, is the type species of the genus Scarabaeus and the family Scarabaeidae. This dung beetle is native of southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia, and it was venerated in ancient Egypt.

<i>Dynastes hyllus</i> Species of beetle

Dynastes hyllus is a large scarab beetle species that ranges from Mexico to Guatemala. Its larvae have been found to associate with the logs of Persea americana.

<i>Dynastes satanas</i> Species of beetle

Dynastes satanas, the Satanas beetle, is a species of beetle belonging to the family Scarabaeidae. The name is sometimes misspelled as "satanus".

<i>Dynastes grantii</i> Species of beetle

The western Hercules beetle is a species of rhinoceros beetle that lives in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah in the United States and in parts of northern Mexico. This species is known for its grayish-white elytra, large size, and characteristic horn of the adult males.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rutelinae</span> Subfamily of beetles

Rutelinae or shining leaf chafers is a subfamily of the scarab beetles. It is a very diverse group; distributed over most of the world, it contains some 200 genera with over 4,000 described species in 7 tribes. Several taxa have yet to be described. A few recent classifications include the tribe Hopliini, but this is not generally accepted.

<i>Inca clathratus</i> Species of beetle

Inca clathratus is a species of flower chafer in the family Scarabaeidae, indigenous to Central and South America. These beetles can be seen surrounding the sap flows from injured or diseased trees anytime in the day and sometimes at night. They mostly feed at the sap flows of the trees, including avocado and mango trees. Like other beetles they also feed off of rotting fruit. There are a few different subspecies of Inca clathratus including: Inca clathratus sommeri, Inca clathratus clathratus, and Inca clathratus quesneli. The species name has been frequently misspelled as "clathrata" but the genus name Inca is masculine.

Dynastes moroni is a large scarab beetle endemic to the Sierra de los Tuxtlas region in Mexico.

<i>Phanaeus dionysius</i> Species of beetle

Phanaeus dionysius is a species of dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in region of San Pablo Etla of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Copris repertus, is a species of dung beetle found in India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

Onthophagus hastifer, is a species of dung beetle found in India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, and Myanmar.

Dynastes maya, the Maya white beetle, is a species of New World scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae). It has a distribution range in the Central American region, specifically in southern Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala.

References

  1. "Dynastes neptunus - Care Sheet". Richard's Inverts. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  2. 1 2 "Family Scarabaeidae - Dynastes neptunus". www.naturalworlds.org. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  3. "Dynastes neptunus - Zhao Li". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  4. 1 2 "Generic Guide to New World Scarab Beetles-Scarabaeidae-Dynastinae-Dynastini-Dynastes". unsm-ento.unl.edu. Retrieved 2023-06-02.