Rhinoceros beetles are thick-bodied scarab beetles, and many fly to lights at night. Some species have males with large horns on the head or chest, while females and many smaller species have only a bump or no obvious horn. Native U.S. members include the Eastern Hercules Beetle and smaller dark ox and rhinoceros beetles.
This 1.5–2.5 in (3.8–6.4 cm) beetle lives in the eastern United States. Males have opposing head and thorax horns, while females lack the large horns.
This pale gray, dark-spotted relative occurs in the Southwest, especially Arizona. Its range usually separates it from the Eastern Hercules Beetle.
This large brown beetle occurs in the southern United States. Large males have three prominent horns on the thorax, while females and small males have much shorter projections.
This dark beetle of the eastern United States is roughly 1 in (2.5 cm) long. A male has one upright head horn, while a female has only a small bump.
A male stag beetle’s large structures are movable jaws that project forward from the mouth. A horned male rhinoceros beetle has fixed horns rising from the head or thorax. Hornless beetles need more features to separate.
Why they get mixed upBoth groups include large, hard-bodied beetles.