The amazing rhinoceros beetle is one of the most common insect species on the entire planet. Currently, science knows a number of representatives of this group.
The common rhinoceros beetle belongs to the family Lamelidae. Its length can reach 40 mm. The main color of the individual is dark chestnut. The front legs of a rhinoceros beetle are intended only for digging. The insect has spines and teeth on its hind legs. In total, there are more than 1,300 species in the family, representing 170 genera.
The rhinoceros beetle, like the animal of the same name, is very slow in its behavior and has a thick chitinous skin that gives the appearance of armor.
What to feed a rhinoceros beetle?
I don't really need it either and plan to donate it to the school's living corner.
There are still almost two weeks before school starts, and I want to keep him alive.
The beetle refuses to eat cucumbers and carrots. I don't know what else I can feed him.
And in general, what do you know about this amazing creation of nature?
I read the information and found out that the rhinoceros beetle, like the stag beetle, belongs to the stag beetle .
Hornbills are listed in the Red Book as a species that is declining in numbers.
The average length of a rhinoceros beetle is 40 mm, but there are specimens up to 60 mm.
According to the laws of aerodynamics, stag beetles should not fly, but they fly well at dusk and at night. Males fly almost vertically so that the horns do not outweigh. During the day, beetles hide in hollows or sit on the bark of trees, most often oak or willow, and feed on sap from wounds on the bark.
The diet of females is more varied; in addition to plant sap, they can feed on decaying plant debris in compost heaps or particles of manure. In addition, the female's jaws can gnaw through the bark of a young tree trunk or branch and get to the sap.
Several male beetles of the same species can sit quietly near a sap-secreting crack in the bark of a tree until a female appears, secreting pheromones.
Then the meal stops, the undergrown beetles crawl to the side, and the contenders for the female begin gladiator fights, trying to push their opponents out of the tree. First, the beetles take a threatening pose, rising on their front legs; if this does not help, they rush at each other.
The winner receives a female and the opportunity to leave her offspring.
The female lays several dozen eggs in compost heaps or in prepared chambers, which she gnaws out in old rotten stumps. After laying the female dies. Beetles live only one spring-summer season, which they devote to reproduction. The larvae grow and develop for about four years, then pupate in the ground and a new generation of beetles appears in the spring.
Interesting features of the rhinoceros beetle:
-scientists suggest that the horn serves for orientation in space; in addition, it has been discovered that its microparticles have electrical-semiconductor resistance, i.e. this is a microcircuit created by nature
- the beetle can move a load 850 times heavier than its weight
-brushes made of hairs on the lower chitinous plates are capable of accumulating electrical charges
Further research into these features may lead to new discoveries in the field of microelectronics.
2) Mantises
Praying mantises get their name from their long, spiny forelimbs, which are bent like our arms when we pray. With the help of these limbs, the mantis strikes, grabs prey and holds it during a meal. They are predators, feeding on other insects and are sometimes even seen engaging in cannibalism.
In autumn, praying mantises lay eggs in layers in special capsules, which are covered with hardening and waterproof foam. This form of oviposition is called ootheca. In the spring, tiny praying mantises that have not been eaten by their siblings or other insects climb onto branches and undergo several metamorphoses until they reach maturity. At the last stage they acquire wings.
Mantises are often kept at home because they are interesting to watch. They are easy to feed, they are quite aggressive and quickly grab the offered food. There are a large number of different types of praying mantises on sale, of all sizes.
The largest is Ischnomantis gigas
- reaches a length of up to 16.5 centimeters, and the smallest -
Bolbe pyhmaea
- is only about 1 centimeter in length. It is known that females eat males during mating, but this does not always happen, especially if the female has been properly fed before, she will not kill her partner.
Features and habitat of the rhinoceros beetle
The rhinoceros beetle is a rare insect, protected in Western Europe and listed in several local Red Data Books of the Russian Federation. It has a chitinous shell of chestnut or red color, its body is about 46 mm long.
This species is characterized by a large horn on the head in males, and a small, bulging-looking horn in females. They have shiny elytra and head. They have a small head, a clypeus, compressed in front, triangular, with straight sides.
The functioning of the body is controlled by the nervous system, which consists of components such as the brain and the nerve circuit. Beetles provide respiration with oxygen entering the spiracles, which are located in the chest and abdomen. Through the spiracles, oxygen reaches the trachea, which, in turn, envelops most of the insect's organs.
Pictured is a female rhinoceros beetle
This beetle navigates its environment with the help of a well-tuned organ system. The horn also helps to perform this work, although it is not possible to accurately determine its purpose. The insect has complex vision organs, consisting of smaller eyes and located on the sides of the head.
The lower chitinous plates contain downward-pointing hairs, on which electrostatic potential accumulates, which is why, when it hits a person, you can feel a discharge of electricity.
Interestingly, the rhinoceros beetle is capable of moving loads that weigh a thousand times more than itself. In 2009, scientists from the University of California were able to implant a chip that transmits radio signals into such a beetle.
With the help of such equipment it was possible to completely control the movement and flight of the insect. These beetles are found on warm summer evenings and can also fly to various light sources.
It is impossible to make an accurate description of the rhinoceros beetle , because this species surprises with its diversity - beetles differ in color, size, and some structural features depending on their habitat.
This species is widespread in Europe, parts of Asia, and also in northern Africa. Initially, these beetles lived in different forests with broad-leaved trees, but thanks to people they were able to get into the steppe. In Central Asia and Kazakhstan, these beetles also live in semi-deserts.
buy rhinoceros beetle from private sellers and pet stores, but it is worth remembering that it is in the red books of some states. Dried beetles are also sold. You can also grow a rhinoceros beetle at home , namely in a terrarium.
For the growth of larvae, special soil with the addition of woody substrate is required so that they can burrow there and lay eggs. Also, rhinoceros beetle larvae will benefit from old cellulose mixed with peat, which is mixed with soil and placed in a terrarium, after which the larva itself is placed there.
The photo shows the larvae of a rhinoceros beetle
If you are lucky enough to find it in a rotten stump, you should cut out a piece of it along with the larva and put it in a terrarium, after which you need to wait for an adult beetle, and no further provisioning processes need to be done.
Keeping a rhinoceros beetle is a painstaking task; if you are planning offspring, it is worth providing it with a terrarium with dust. The insect does not need food.
Description
The body and limbs of the rhinoceros beetle consist of segments - segments. The body itself is divided into three sections: head, chest, abdomen. In this case, the chest consists of 3 segments, and the abdomen - of 8.
The rhinoceros beetle's body is oblong, convex and wide. The male's body is uniform, while the female's is slightly expanded back.
The pronotum of the male is larger than that of the female. The pronotum has a transverse rib with 3 tubercles, 2 (lateral) of which are wide and transverse. The central tubercle is triangular in shape. In front, the pronotum has a triangular notch, which is bordered by a smooth border. The pronotum of the female is narrower than the bases of the elytra and smaller than that of the male.
The beetle's head is small relative to its body. The clypeus is triangular in shape, in the male it is covered with small points, which in him, unlike females, do not merge, and on the anterior edge ends with a small, slightly raised side. The antennae are located on the head, geniculate and curved to form a lamellar club.
3 pairs of walking legs are located on the chest, so each pair of legs corresponds to one segment of the chest. The limbs consist of 5 segments, the front legs have serrations and are digging, and the rest end with pads and are needed for movement. The limbs themselves seem to be widely spaced.
Horn
In males, most of the head is occupied by a growth - a horn. From the base to the top, the horn gradually narrows, has a triangular cross-section and a uniform bend, which is directed from the very base upward and backward.
Females also have a horn, but it is much less pronounced, the direction of the bend is the same as that of the male, and is blunt at the apex. In males with normal development, the horn reaches a considerable length; in underdeveloped individuals, the length of the horn is slightly longer than the length of the female’s horn. The meaning of the horn is still unknown. The Beetle does not use it in case of attack or defense.
Color and sizes
The male rhinoceros beetle reaches an average length of 25–43 mm, and the female 26–41 mm. The color of the beetle's back varies from dark brown to red-brown. The abdomen and limbs are much lighter, yellowish-brown in color, covered with yellow-brown hairs. The chitinous cover of the beetle shines.
The beetle's body size, color, and horn length vary greatly and depend on environmental conditions. Thus, larger individuals have a relatively dark color and a more powerful horn and a wide pronotum. So small males are very similar in appearance to females.
Internal structure
Since the rhinoceros beetle belongs to the class of insects, its internal structure is similar to the structure of other representatives of this class.
In beetles, almost all organs of the digestive system have atrophied, which may be evidence that the beetles do not feed at all, but receive energy for life from previously accumulated substances.
Beetles breathe atmospheric oxygen, which enters a system of spiracles located on the chest and abdomen of the insect. Then, from the spiracles, oxygen enters the respiratory tubes - the tracheas, which envelop all organs, and oxygen directly and freely flows to them.
The circulatory system is not closed and is extremely reduced. The heart has the shape of a tube, which is divided into chambers with valve openings. The muscles attached to them extend from the chambers to the sides, which contract and drive hemolymph into the aorta. From the aorta, hemolymph flows into the spaces between the organs and fills them. Then the hemolymph is collected again in the heart through the chambers. Hemolymph is colorless.
The functions of the beetle's excretory organs are performed by the Malpighian vessels and the fat body. Malpighian vessels are thin tubes blindly closed at the free end. They arise from the alimentary canal between the midgut and hindgut.
Round nodules of uric acid are deposited in the fat body. The fat body is the “storage bud” of the beetle, since uric acid is not excreted from it.
The nervous system helps manage the complex processes of the entire body. The central nervous system consists of the brain, the ventral nerve cord, which runs along the ventral side of the body, and the peripharyngeal ganglion. The brain consists of three sections. The peripharyngeal ganglion is well developed. Almost all of these sections secrete neurosecrets that are responsible for the growth and development of the insect.
Character and lifestyle of the rhinoceros beetle
During the day, these beetles do not show any activity, preferring to hide in the ground or on trees, which disappears with the arrival of night. These beetles, in a dangerous or incomprehensible situation for them, try to burrow into the ground as quickly as possible.
If this is not possible, these amazing insects are able to feign death by falling and merging with the grass and branches, tucking their antennae. Also, these amazing insects are able to fly more than 50 km without stopping.
The flight of the rhinoceros beetle lasts up to five months, appearing at the end of March or April, they hide by the beginning of August. Having settled in greenhouses, these beetles can harm plants.
Routes of penetration
When small bugs appear in the house, everyone wonders where they came from.
Carpet beetles can enter an apartment from an infested room on clothes, shoes or in a person’s bag. Sometimes they come from neighbors through small cracks near pipelines, ventilation holes, open windows or entrance doors. If you see a bug on the windows, you should not ignore it. We need to figure out where she came from and whether there are any of her brothers in the house.
The food-eating beetle and bread grinder beetle can be brought from the store along with the cereal. This happens if the rules for storing and processing products are violated in warehouses or granaries.
Bread grinder
Infestation of a wooden house by insects that spoil wood often occurs at the stage of procurement of building material. They can also be brought in old furniture or brought in with boards during renovation. If such bugs begin to crawl around the apartment, you need to check not only wooden products, but also the floor, baseboards, window sills, and frames. If found, immediately take measures to destroy them.
Feeding the rhinoceros beetle
No one can come to an answer to the question of what the rhinoceros beetle . Not having a jaw adapted for eating large food, this insect possibly feeds on tree sap or all sorts of soft food.
Although, trying to understand what rhinoceros beetles eat, scientists came to the conclusion that most likely these insects do not eat food at all, but live on substances collected during the larval stage. Also, the digestive system of these beetles is atrophied, which is another argument in favor of the statement that they do not feed on anything.
5) Ants
Ants live everywhere. They can be predators, scavengers or herbivores. They are very social and live in large groups in which a strict hierarchy is observed. The colony is led by the queen, the only fertile female. Other females that do not produce offspring are workers or soldiers.
They communicate using pheromones, sounds or touch and defend themselves by biting and stinging. They have large jaws with which they bite painfully. Ants are relatives of bees and wasps. Some of them, such as harvester ants, are sold as food for toad lizards.
Harvester ants are also sold for so-called "ant farms", a fun hobby for children and adults. These farms are flat boxes with glass where you can observe the behavior of ants during their daily activities, for example, you can see how they build tunnels and carry food.
They should be fed fruits, vegetables, seeds or the whites of boiled eggs. Special ant food is sold online. Using a pipette, you can add water to one area, but only a little, because they may drown. It is interesting to watch the work of a team of these funny insects. It's even more interesting to see how they care for their young, but queen ants are not always available for sale, so you should catch one.
Reproduction and lifespan of the rhinoceros beetle
The life of a rhinoceros beetle is divided into the following stages:
1. The female rhinoceros beetle lays eggs in rotten stumps, various trees, old manure and other similar places. Interestingly, they are never found in citrus fruits and pine needles. The egg stage takes approximately a month.
2. The egg becomes a larva preferably in the summer. The rhinoceros beetle larva has an ordinary, characteristic appearance for this family. Its diet consists of decaying trees and various plant foods.
The larvae also gnaw at the root system of plants, which is why in some places they are considered pests. This stage can last from 2 to 8 years, depending on the habitat.
3. Pupation. The outline of the pupa is similar to that of an adult beetle. Immediately after pupation, it is light yellow in color, however, after a few weeks it acquires a brown color.
An adult insect lives for several weeks in order to leave offspring, after which it dies. Also, these beetles have many enemies in nature.
They should beware of birds, such as crows, magpies, and they can also be hunted by various types of amphibians and reptiles. And the larvae of an insect such as Scolia are capable of parasitizing the rhinoceros beetle.
Life cycle
After mating, females lay yellowish-white eggs in rotten stumps, rotten tree trunks, hollow trees, as well as in rotted manure, garden compost, piles of wood shavings, bark and sawdust, or other places rich in decaying plant debris. Development takes place in these substrates. In natural habitats, the development of rhinoceros beetle larvae mainly occurs in the roots and butt part of old dead trees, less often in fallen trunks and hollows. In temperate climates, such trees are: birch, oak, willow, poplar, beech, walnut, apricot, plum, cherry, pear and other deciduous trees. In southern Europe and North Africa, development is also noted in the wood of medlar, peach, quince, black and white mulberry, persimmon, trees from the ebony family, olive, and date palm. The larvae never colonize various citrus and coniferous tree species.
Larva
Larval hatching usually occurs in summer. The larvae have a typical appearance for representatives of the lamellar family and reach a length of 80–110 mm by the end of their development. The larva has a thick C-shaped curved body, yellow-white in color, covered with sparse hairs and clusters of subulate-shaped setae on the fourth to ninth tergites and the tenth tergite. The head is dark red-brown, with rough wrinkles. The crown of the larva is covered with numerous hairs. The upper jaws are massive, triangular in shape, with rather short apices and 2 teeth.
The antennae are long, their second segment is the longest, the first is shorter than the second, but slightly longer than the third. The spiracles are large. The largest of them is the first, the rest practically do not differ from each other in size. The anal segment is divided into 2 parts by a circular, transverse groove. Its apex is evenly rounded. The anal opening has the shape of a transverse slit. There is an additional fold on the posterior part of the anal tergite. The anal tergite is covered with numerous small hairs, among which are scattered more sparse, long hairs, and in its very posterior part there are small, spiny setae. The legs are quite long, with highly developed long coxae. The claws are short, almost straight.
The larvae are xylophages and saprophages - they feed on decaying wood and decaying plant matter. The larval intestine contains a community of bacteria involved in cellulose metabolism. Their bulk is concentrated in the extensions of the hindgut. Methane formation was found in the hindgut extensions, and at the same level as in woody termites.
Sometimes the larvae can gnaw on the roots of living woody plants growing in beetle breeding areas. Thus, they can be occasional pests of cultivated plants. For example, in the Krasnodar region of Russia and Moldova, rhinoceros beetle larvae are noted as occasional pests of the roots of grapevines, roses and lemons.
Generation is perennial. The larval stage, depending on climatic conditions and geographic latitude of the area, lasts 2–4 years. Overwintering occurs only in the larval phase. Having reached the third instar, after the last overwintering, the larvae pupate in the spring.
Doll
Pupation occurs in the spring in the substrate on which the larvae fed. The pupa is of an open type, free, usually lies on its back and is in a false cocoon - the so-called. “cradle” built by the larva from soil particles, its own excrement and wood dust. It is shaped like an adult beetle with shortened wings. The head is tucked under the chest. At the top of the last abdominal segment there is a small, triangular notch. The first to sixth abdominal tergites have two transverse folds.
At first the pupa is light yellow in color, and over time it acquires a reddish-brown color. The pupal stage lasts about one month. After emerging from the pupa, the beetles remain in the cradle for some time.
Rhinoceros beetles. Maintenance at home.
Good day, dear reader!
In this review, I collected all my knowledge on keeping rhinoceros beetles at home.
I purchased these wonderful creatures at the Moscow exhibition and sale of Reptilium.
It was in 2022 and this was my experience in keeping beetles, which is where my “addiction” began and at the moment I have a beautiful emerald African bronze living with me.
Initially, it was planned to purchase one beetle (a boy), but when I took the girl rhinoceros in my arms, I could no longer let her go, she captivated me with her soulful gaze!
That's how I got a pair of adorable rhinoceros beetles.
The habitat of beetles is the entire territory of Europe, southwest Siberia, as well as the Caucasus.
The body size of the male and female, plus or minus a few mm, is the same (2.5-4.3 cm)
Appearance of rhinoceros beetles.
Their color is incredibly beautiful (nature can create miracles!) varies from dark chestnut to red-brown.
In my case, the boy was lighter than the girl and shimmered more in daylight.
On the legs, like most beetles, there are small spines, with their help the beetle clings to various surfaces.
When picking up a beetle, you need to be extremely careful; beetles are fragile creatures, although they look strong.
Initially, I placed the beetles together in a spacious plastic container with a lid, because... the beetles can fly (25 cm wide, 15 cm high), but they didn’t get along and started fighting, so I had to put them in different containers.
For maintenance, the breeder recommended coconut substrate and sphagnum (moss) to me.
I cleaned it once a month, replacing the old bedding with a new one, which was more than enough.
You can feed it with ripe fruits. My beetles loved grapes very much, there is also a special Japanese jelly for beetles (I bought it from a breeder), it can be left for several days (unlike fruits, which need to be replaced every day), this is its big advantage. Beetles do not need to provide water; they can drown; they get everything they need from fruits.
To my great regret, rhinoceros beetles live from 3 to 6 months (in the adult stage), I lived for 6. During this time, they managed to become full-fledged pet insects.
I hope that my review was useful to you!
If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them!
Types of bronze
There are 5 subspecies of Russian Bronzeworts. Each has several forms, differing in color. A defining feature is also the presence or absence of fluff on the body. In general, there are about 20 items. There are approximately 4 thousand species of bronzebacks on the planet. Most of them are tropical residents.
Bronzovkas of the temperate climate zone include:
1. Smooth. It reaches 3 centimeters in length, looks green, sometimes with blue and red reflections. The beetle is found near old trees, choosing large trunks.
The smooth bronze beetle can be easily distinguished from other beetles by the metallic sheen of its shell.
2. Smelly. This is no longer a green bronze beetle, but a black one with white markings. Representatives of the species live in the southern regions of Russia and neighboring countries. The body length of the bronze does not exceed 1.3 centimeters. The body of young individuals is covered with white hairs and has a strong smell.
Stinking bronze beetle
3. Marble. The length of the insect is 2.7 centimeters. The name of the species is associated with the black-bronze color, which is decorated with uneven, whitish lines. They resemble veins on black marble.
The photo shows a marble bronze
4. Golden bronze beetle. From the name it is clear that the elytra of the insect shine with yellow metal. The length of the beetle does not exceed 2.3 centimeters. Representatives of the golden species prefer to settle in gardens and vegetable gardens, choosing regions with black soil.
The golden bronze is distinguished by the golden sheen of its shell
Bronze beetles and cockchafers are often found there at the same time. In the latter, unlike the heroine of the article, not only do the elytra move apart, but the metallic reflection is not expressed.
Outside the country, in the tropics, there lives, for example, the Congolese bronze. It is colored black, yellow, orange-red. The beetle is large, lives in bushes and trees, feeding on their fruits, leaves, and flowers.
Tropical bronze species have a short life cycle. So, Congo beetles live only 2 months.
Congolese bronzes live in tropical forests
Lifestyle of a rhinoceros beetle. What does a rhinoceros beetle eat?
The amazing rhinoceros beetle is one of the most common insect species on the entire planet.
Currently, science knows a number of representatives of this group. The common rhinoceros beetle belongs to the family Lamelidae. Its length can reach 40 mm. The main color of the individual is dark chestnut. The front legs of a rhinoceros beetle are intended only for digging. The insect has spines and teeth on its hind legs. In total, there are more than 1,300 species in the family, representing 170 genera.
The rhinoceros beetle, like the animal of the same name, is very slow in its behavior and has a thick chitinous skin that gives the appearance of armor.
Features of the insect
The main distinguishing feature of the beetle is its curved horn on its head. In females, instead of such a horn, there is a small tubercle on the nose. In addition, the female can be distinguished by her smaller body size. Rhinoceros beetles have another interesting feature - their color depends on the size of the insect.
The larger the insect, the darker the color it will be. Based on aerodynamic calculations, rhinoceros beetles should not fly. Despite this, insects are capable of flying long distances up to 50 km. At the same time, their flight is accompanied by a characteristic sound.
The insect's horn is necessary for orientation in space and is distinguished by its amazing structure. Various horn microparticles are characterized by semiconductor resistance. This can be compared to a microcircuit that was created by nature. Hair brushes on the lower chitinous plates can record electronic charge. This is why when a flying beetle comes into contact with a person, you can feel an electrical discharge.
Where does the insect live?
As for the range of the rhinoceros beetle, it is very wide. These insects do not live only in the tundra. Insects can be found in the following regions:
- In Northeast Turkey;
- In North Africa;
- In Europe;
- In Southeast Asia;
- In the Caucasus;
- In Ciscaucasia;
- In Northern and Eastern Iran.
Ten species of all are considered the most common. In the CIS countries you can find three species , inhabited from taiga to deserts. In the wild, rhinoceros beetles live in deciduous forests and forest-steppes of Europe. Most often they settle on river openings and along valleys. The species has also been recorded in southwestern Siberia. In South Asia, you can find the giant palm rhinoceros, which causes damage to coconut trees.
3) Cockroaches
Many people treat cockroaches very disdainfully and consider them pests, but only 5 out of four thousand species of cockroaches live at home. Cockroaches easily adapt to new conditions, although they like warmer environments. They are mostly omnivores, but some species eat exclusively wood.
These insects are very fast and hardy and can live without food for a long time, and without air for up to 45 minutes! You can put them in water and they will remain alive for half an hour. It is believed that cockroaches can survive even after a nuclear disaster and they definitely have a higher level of resistance to radiation than humans. As household pests, cockroaches carry dangerous bacteria and can cause allergic reactions.
Some types of cockroaches are kept as pets. They are very colorful, funny and easy to feed. There are many beautiful types on the market. Perhaps the most famous species is the Madagascar hissing cockroach.
.
Death's Head
cockroach has a skull design on the top of its head.
There is no difficulty in feeding. You can grind up dry dog food or buy special cockroach food online. It is also useful to irrigate the walls of the aquarium with a spray bottle, as insects love to lick off droplets of water. Some of them are good climbers, even on smooth glass walls, so care must be taken to prevent them from escaping.
You can handle cockroaches, but you must wash your hands thoroughly afterward. Breeding cockroaches in captivity is easy, you just need to keep the female and male in the same aquarium, and soon the offspring will be born. Cockroaches of the species Blaptica dubia
used to feed other insects.
Insect lifestyle
The summer period of beetles depends on their range. As a rule, it lasts from May to the end of July, in rare cases until the beginning of autumn. During the day, insects hide on the ground or in cracks in the bark of trees. Willows and oaks are preferred . When twilight comes, summer begins, which continues throughout almost the entire night. Beetles readily flock to sources of artificial light.
What do rhinoceros beetles eat? The digestive system of these insects is atrophied. What they eat is not fully understood by scientists. Some evidence suggests that beetles do not feed at all, and their energy is generated from previously accumulated substances. Other evidence suggests that insects may feed on plant sap.
Harm from swimming beetles
Swimming beetles often appear in fish farms, artificial reservoirs in private areas, and at the same time cause significant harm. It consists in the fact that swimmers eat fry, thus exterminating the fish population.
To get rid of swimming beetles, the following methods are recommended:
- Completely drain the artificial reservoir and carefully treat the bottom using liming.
- Install a fountain in a pond or reservoir: it will increase the movement of water, which will prevent the swimming beetle from hunting and force it to look for another habitat.
- Get crucian carp. Crucians eat onion larvae, stopping the spread of insects in a given body of water.
Reproduction of insects and larvae
Rhinoceros beetles are dioecious insects and reproduce sexually. The ovaries of females contain eggs. The testes of males contain seminal fluid .
After fertilization, the female lays eggs in:
- Rotten stumps;
- Garbage;
- Rotted manure;
- Tree trunks;
- Heaps of shavings.
The egg stage lasts about one month, after which the larva appears.
The rhinoceros beetle larva that emerges from the egg remains to live in the substrate. The larva feeds on organic decomposition products for 3-4 years. Beetles leave their homes only at sunset. Rhinoceros beetle larvae can cause damage to crops. If such larvae are found in a greenhouse or greenhouse, then there will be no harvest.
Human use
The rhinoceros beetle is capable of lifting 850 times its own weight. There were even experiments conducted in Japan and China that were published. Experiments were carried out on remote photography of objects using these insects. The organizers of the experiment attached miniature video and photo cameras to the abdomens of insects.
In addition, specialists managed to achieve radio control of rhinoceros beetles during their flight. Scientists were able to place six electrodes in the muscles and brains of insects. They also supplied a microcontroller, radio signal receivers and batteries. This receiver transmitted the signal to the electrodes. Scientists say such rhinoceros beetles could be used to explore places that are difficult for humans to reach.
Crickets
The chirping of these insects has a calming effect on many, which is why they are most often kept at home. However, unfortunately, the lifespan of these insects is short - about 2 months. They are undemanding when it comes to temperature, but the air must be fairly dry.
Crickets can eat a wide variety of foods:
- fresh herbs, lettuce and tops;
- fresh vegetables and fruits;
- oatmeal "Hercules" (uncooked);
- powdered milk;
- dry food for cats and dogs;
- Gammarus.
