The numbers
Enclosure
30 × 25 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
20-26C (cooler for larvae)
Humidity
65-80%
Identity
Order / Family
Coleoptera
IUCN / CITES
Not evaluated; not CITES
Difficulty
Intermediate
Commonality
Popular temperate rhino; captive-bred
Adult size
Body 40-65mm; greenish-grey with black spots
Lifespan
Larva ~10-16 mo; adult ~3-6 mo
Growth rate
Moderate
Activity & niche
Nocturnal; adults on sap; larvae in rotten hardwood
Temperament
Males joust; harmless
Venom / defense
Harmless - no venom; horn pinch only
Price (THB)
indicative ~600-2,500
Enclosure and conditions
Temperature
20-26C (cooler for larvae)
Humidity
65-80%
Min. enclosure
Larvae: L3 in 5-10L, 25-30cm flake soil; adults 30x25cm+
Substrate
Larvae: fermented flake soil / white-rotten wood; adults: coco/soil + bark
Hides / decor / water
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 flake soil for horn size
Behaviour and handling
Handling
Gentle; support body
Communal
Separate males; rear larvae individually
Defense / stress signs
Horn-pushing, hissing
Reproduction
Reproduction
Eggs -> L1-L3 -> pupation -> adult; elytra change colour with humidity
Common health problems
Common health issues
SignsFailed eclosion, dehydration, mites
Red flags / quarantine
SignsNon-native - never release; mites
Good to know
- Its shell turns from grey to black when the beetle gets wet, then back when it dries
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)Hercules beetleDynastes herculesGiant flower beetleMecynorhina torquataGiraffe stag beetleProsopocoilus giraffa