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
23-27C
Humidity
65-80%
Identity
Order / Family
Coleoptera
IUCN / CITES
Not evaluated; not CITES
Difficulty
Advanced
Commonality
Prized heavyweight; less common due to long rearing
Adult size
Body 70-140mm; velvety, with horns; very bulky
Lifespan
Larva ~18-24+ mo (L1-L3); adult ~3-6 mo
Growth rate
Very slow
Activity & niche
Nocturnal; adults on sap/fruit; larvae in deep rotten wood
Temperament
Placid giant; harmless
Venom / defense
Harmless - no venom; can pinch with horns
Price (THB)
indicative ~800-4,000 (larvae to adults)
Enclosure and conditions
Temperature
23-27C
Humidity
65-80%
Min. enclosure
Larvae: L3 in 10-20L, 30-40cm deep flake soil; adults 40x30cm+
Substrate
Larvae: rich fermented flake soil / white-rotten wood; adults: coco/soil + bark
Hides / decor / water
Sturdy 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 for mass
Behaviour and handling
Handling
Gentle; heavy - support fully
Communal
Rear large larvae individually; separate males
Defense / stress signs
Hissing, leg-kicking
Reproduction
Reproduction
Eggs -> L1-L3 (heavy L3) -> long pupation -> adult; patience required
Common health problems
Common health issues
SignsLong-cycle losses, failed eclosion, mites, dehydration
Red flags / quarantine
SignsVery long larval stage; non-native - never release; mites
Good to know
- Covered in fine golden hair; among the heaviest beetles by body mass
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