Xylotrupes gideon

The brown rhinoceros beetle, Xylotrupes gideon is a brilliant species of large scarab beetle belonging to the subfamily Dynastinae.

Subspecies
 Xylotrupes gideon borneensis Minck, 1920 
 Xylotrupes gideon gideon (Linnaeus, 1767) 
 Xylotrupes gideon lakorensis Silvestre, 2002 
 Xylotrupes gideon sawuensis Silvestre, 2002 
 Xylotrupes gideon sondaicus Silvestre, 2002

Distribution
This species is widespread in Indonesia: Java (nomotypical form), Borneo (borneensis), Sunda Islands and Moluccas.

Description
Xylotrupes gideon can reach a length of . As usual with rhinoceros beetles there is a great difference between the genders. Males are larger than females. They have two chitinous bifurcated horns, a thick thoracic horn and a smaller cephalic horn, which they use to eliminate their rivals during the mating period. These beetles are shiny dark red, dark brown, or black in coloration. The eyes are located on each side of the head. When disturbed these beetles make a hissing noise, produced by rubbing the tip of the abdomen against the edge the elytra.

The larvae develop in decaying vegetable matter and take usually two years in development, the adult beetles live 2–4 months. A female can lay about 20-30 eggs but it depends on the place where they lived . 2-

See also
 Xylotrupes ulysses
 Elephant beetle
 Rhinoceros beetle

References

 Rowland, J.M. (2011) Notes on nomenclature in Xylotrupes Hope (Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Dynastini)

External links

Category:Dynastinae
Category:Beetles described in 1830
Category:Beetles of Asia