Name: Gandamon, Dennis R.

Date: September 28, 2023

Year and Section: BSA IV Subject: AGRI 108

Asiatic Rhinoceros Beetle

(Oryctes rhinoceros)

Introduction
Beetles are winged insects that have tough outer wings like a shield. All beetles have
two sets of wings – their body is covered by a hard shell (called an elytra) that protects the thin
wings underneath that are used for flying. The thin flying wings fold out from under the elytra
when the beetle is ready to take off. The outside wings have color and texture, which is why
ladybugs look red with black spots when they crawl, but look more transparent (see-through)
when they are flying.
Rhinoceros beetles are herbivorous insects named for the horn-like projections on and
around the males' heads. Most are black, gray, or greenish in color, and some are covered in
soft hairs. Another name given to some of these insects is the Hercules beetle, because they
possess a strength of Herculean proportion. Adults of some species can lift objects 30 times
their own weight without sacrificing any speed (that would be equivalent to a human having no
problem carrying an adult male white rhinoceros). Some can even lift up to 100 times their own
weight, though they have trouble moving at that point. Male beetles use this extreme strength
to fight off other males and win the right to mate with females. Rhinoceros beetles can grow up
to six inches (15 centimeters), making them some of the largest beetles in the world.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Subfamily: Dynastinae
Tribe: Oryctini
Genus: Oryctes
Species: O.rhinoceros

Life-cycle and identification

Biology
This large species has an average length of about 33 to 40 mm. Adults are dark
brown to black in color with shiny dorsum. Head with a prominent horn. Male has
longer horn than the female. Male is characterized by a rounded, shiny terminal
abdominal segment whereas female has a relatively hairier 'tail'. There are two
tubercles on the thoracic ridge.

Eggs
Adult female lay yellowish-white oval eggs which are about 3 mm in diameter.
Eggs are typically laid inside rotting vegetative matter. After one week, they swell
and later hatch within 11 to 13 days.

Larva
Grub stage undergo three instars before becoming a pupa. Grubs are yellowish-
white where the third instar grow to 60 to 100 mm in length. Cranium is dark
brown, with many round pits. There are minute setae on cranium. Thoracic
spiracles are about 1.85 to 2.23 mm long. Respiratory plate consists with small,
round to oval holes. Thoracic spiracles are larger than abdominal spiracles.

Pupa
Pupa is yellowish-brown with about 50 mm in length. There are horn-shaped
protuberances on the anterior surface.

Economic Importance
Rhinoceros beetle: many nutritional benefits
The rhinoceros beetle, as many other edible insects, is rich in proteins and
minerals. It contains iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorous. Its
protein values are exceeding the values of the traditionnal meat we usually eat.
For example, it contains almost 75% of proteins compared to only 43% in
beef.The WFP (Worldwide Food Programme) encourages producers and
distributers of edible insects to promote the consumption of insects as food.
Edible insects are considered the future of food because they provide lots of
protein at a far lower cost. Edible insects' meat competes with traditional meats,
which are getting rarer and are far from healthy. Besides that, traditional meat is
getting more and more expensive and are becoming unaffordable for people with
low incomes.
Damage
Adult beetles cause damage to palms by boring holes into the central growing
point of the crown to feed on the young host tissue sap (juice).
They start by tearing or drilling their way through softer young unopened fronds
into the centre of the growing spike where they feed on the sap. They may come
out through the base of the frond midrib (10-50 cm from the base). When the
damaged young frond opens, and V or wedge shaped sections of the leaf are
missing.
Some signs of the presence of the beetle also include excreted plant tissue and
insect droppings (frass) emerging from the entrance holes. Holes in the base of
frond stems are also commonly seen. But the holes themselves can also be
obscured by the base of the fronds.

Natural Enemies
Rhinoceros beetle eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults may be attacked by various
predators, including pigs, rats, ants, and some beetles. They may also be killed by
two important diseases: the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae and the Oryctes virus
disease

Control and management

Rhinoceros beetles can be controlled by eliminating the places where they breed
and by manually destroying adults and immatures.
• Chop and burn decaying logs or break them up and destroy any rhinoceros
beetles developing inside.
• Cut stumps as close to the soil surface as possible.
• Dead, standing coconuts should be felled, chopped, dried, and burned.
• Rhinoceros beetles do not usually lay eggs in potential breeding sites that are
obscured by growing vegetation. Vines or ground covers can be planted or
allowed to grow over logs or stumps that cannot be destroyed.
• Piles of dead leaves or grass can be composted, used for mulch, burned, or
spread on the ground in a thin layer.
• Compost piles should be maintained properly. When turning compost piles or
applying compost to plants, destroy any rhinoceros beetles found. It takes longer
for rhinoceros beetle larvae to develop than it takes to make compost, so
properly maintained compost should not serve as a source of rhinoceros beetles.
• A hooked wire can be used to extract and destroy rhinoceros beetle adults
feeding in palm crowns.