
Common rhinoceros beetle - Xylotrupes ulysses. (. male )
Unfortunately this male rhinoceros beetle was dead when I found it on a lawn area . At least he couldn’t run away anymore. It’s distribution is along the east coast of Queensland and down to northern NSW
I found this one much further south then that ( approx 500 km).People i spoke to told me that this time in the year the beetle is quite common around the Newcastle area ( Central coast)
Identification
The Rhinoceros Beetle is a large black shiny beetle. The males have two prominent horns on the front end giving them the common name. The horns are used by males in mating tests of strength with other males. Females do not have horns and are a more typical scarab beetle shape. Rhinoceros Beetles often make a hissing or squeaking sound when harassed or picked up.
Other Names
Elephant Beetle
Size
length to 60mm
Food
Adult beetles feed on nectar, plant sap and fruit.
Breeding
The larvae are large fat c-shaped grubs often found under leaf litter and in garden compost heaps where they feed on rotting organic matter.
Range
The Rhinoceros Beetle is found in south-east Asia and in Australia is found in coastal areas of Queensland.

"Xylotrupes ulysses" is a species of rhinoceros beetle native to New Guinea. Male horns in several groups of this genus represent a special secondary sex characteristic. There is a bimodal horn-size distribution and there is a discrete male mating behavior correlated with each phenotype.
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