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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Megasoma elephas
Coleoptera / Scarabaeidae
Megasoma elephas is a tropical American rhinoceros beetle with a velvet-like covering on its wing cases. Males carry projecting horns; females are hornless and have a more coarsely sculptured pronotum.
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Megasoma elephas (Fabricius, 1775) belongs to Scarabaeidae, subfamily Dynastinae. It was originally described as Scarabaeus elephas. [1]
The male’s pronotum and wing covers have a velvety surface. Its paired thoracic horns project forward and outward without inward-curving tips. Females retain velvety wing covers but have a rugose, hornless pronotum. [1]
The documented range extends from southern Mexico to Venezuela. Adults inhabit tropical evergreen and deciduous forests from lowlands to about 1000 m. [1]
Adult feeding records include sap of Lonchocarpus castilloi. Larvae have been found in standing and fallen trunks of Spondias mombin and Cedrela mexicana. [1]
At night, adults can cross the front tibiae like scissors to cut a twig, then feed at the resulting sap flow. Both sexes are attracted to artificial lights. [1]
Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.
Matthew R.Moore; University of Nebraska State Museum · Accessed 2026-10-11
Sources checked 2026-10-11. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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