steve`o

this wee beastie and his mate were hiding in a pile of mulch when er in doors decided she needed some mulch for some new jasim plants

you should have seen her jump when she saw them
just to put it in perspective though
they are about 55- 60 mm long
thats about 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches in old money

carolinephillips

Cool! All I get is cockroaches.
Caroline

moneypenny20

That's a big bugger. First Born just saw it and swore - very very naughty swearing as well

margy

That's not a beetle, it's a baby Rhino next to some very small bushes...

DebraH

my youngest thinks they are cool

Dave_Kent

Looks like something off "The 5th Element"!

Bring it on

steve`o

pretty close

Rhinoceros beetles



The Rhinoceros beetle, Xylotrupes ulysses australicus grows up to 60mm and is one of the most spectacular beetles in Australia. It's one of over 200 species in the group, others of which can be found living as far south as Tasmania and through into Western Australia. Along with Christmas and dung beetles, rhinoceros beetles belong to the Scarab family.

What to look for
Rhinoceros beetles become active and begin mating around Christmas time, although they are present all year round in far north Queensland. Beetle activity has been less than normal this year, says Geoff Monteith, perhaps because rainfall has been lower than average. The male beetles are easily recognised by the prominent horns on the front of the body, one projecting from the thorax, the other on top of the head. The females don't have horns. While they look scary, they are safe to handle as long as the claws are avoided, which can grip strongly. Female lays 50 eggs which take about three weeks to hatch into larvae. These live in leaf litter or compost heaps for about two years. The large larvae, which are translucent grey with a dark brown head are often found in compost heaps, where they turn into adults and dig their way to the surface.

Where to find them
Rhinoceros beetles are strong flyers. They are attracted to lights at night, and can often be found lying under street lights or in petrol stations.

Species notes
From late December through to February, the males aggregate in huge masses on poinsiana trees in the suburbs of Brisbane - perhaps one in every 100 trees will be targeted. As the males do battle and try to push each-other off the branch, they scare their opponents by making loud hissing squeaks.

wanderingwombat

The colour of the beetles here in the tropics make modern car colours look pretty ordinary

WW

sonlymewalter

That's a "beudy" stevo

Last year I found one and although I hate insecs, because of the size of it I wasn't scared, I even stroked it