The numbers
Enclosure
40 × 30 cm
Diet
Adults: beetle jelly, banana; larvae eat flake soil/rotten wood · Adults: jelly every 1-2 days; larvae: change substrate every 1-2 mo
Temperature
20-25C (keep larvae cool - heat kills)
Humidity
65-80%
Identity
Order / Family
Coleoptera
IUCN / CITES
Not evaluated; not CITES
Difficulty
Intermediate
Commonality
The most famous pet beetle worldwide
Adult size
Body up to ~180mm incl. horn (world's longest beetle)
Lifespan
Larva ~14-20 mo (L1-L3); adult ~4-6 mo (long-lived)
Growth rate
Slow (very long larval stage)
Activity & niche
Nocturnal; adults on fruit/sap; larvae in deep rotten wood
Temperament
Males joust; harmless to people
Venom / defense
Harmless - no venom; can pinch with horns
Price (THB)
indicative ~800-5,000+ (larvae to large adults)
Enclosure and conditions
Temperature
20-25C (keep larvae cool - heat kills)
Humidity
65-80%
Min. enclosure
Larvae: L3 in 8-20L, 25-40cm deep flake soil; adults 40x30cm+ with height
Substrate
Larvae: rich fermented flake soil / white-rotten wood; adults: coco/soil + bark
Hides / decor / water
Sturdy climbing branches, bark; mist for humidity
Diet
Staple food
Adults: beetle jelly, banana; larvae eat flake soil/rotten wood
Feeding frequency
Adults: jelly every 1-2 days; larvae: change substrate every 1-2 mo
Supplements
Protein-rich flake soil drives horn size
Behaviour and handling
Handling
Gentle; heavy - support fully
Communal
Separate males; rear large larvae individually
Defense / stress signs
Horn-pushing, hissing, leg-kicking
Reproduction
Reproduction
Eggs -> L1-L3 (L3 to 100g+) -> long pupation -> adult; feed adults before pairing
Common health problems
Common health issues
SignsLarval heat death, failed eclosion, dehydration, mites
Red flags / quarantine
SignsKeep cool; non-native - never release; mites; costly if mismanaged
Good to know
- The longest beetle in the world; its elytra shift green-to-black with humidity
Others in this group
Japanese rhinoceros beetleTrypoxylus dichotomus (formerly Allomyrina)Atlas beetleChalcosoma atlasSiamese rhinoceros / fighting beetleXylotrupes gideon (TH pops. often X. socrates)Giant stag beetleDorcus titanus (syn. Serrognathus titanus)Sun beetle (fruit beetle)Pachnoda marginata (peregrina)Giant flower beetleMecynorhina torquataGiraffe stag beetleProsopocoilus giraffaCaucasus beetleChalcosoma chiron (formerly C. caucasus)