Japanese rhinoceros beetle
| Japanese rhinoceros beetle | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Scarabaeidae |
| Subfamily: | Dynastinae |
| Genus: |
Allomyrina Arrow, 1911 |
| Species: | A. dichotoma |
| Binomial name | |
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Allomyrina dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1771) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Japanese horned beetle, or kabutomushi (カブトムシ?), Allomyrina dichotoma, is a species of rhinoceros beetle.
In Japanese, rhinoceros beetles are called kabutomushi (かぶとむし, also written 甲虫 or かぶと虫?). Mushi is Japanese for insect, and kabuto is Japanese for helmet. So, literally, it means helmet-insect referring to a samurai helmet. Korean name 'Jangsupungdeng-i(장수풍뎅이, "General beetle") is similar with Japanese words. But Chinese name is '獨角仙'(which means 'single-horned insect') or '雙叉犀金龜'.
Allomyrina dichotoma shows a striking sexual dimorphism. The males are much larger, reaching a length of 40–80 mm, while females can reach a length of about 40–60 mm. The long cephalic horn of this species has a characteristic shape in the form of the letter Y and it is used by males during the mating period and to maintain territories. By means of their forked horn they lift other males off the ground and throw them into the air. In addition to their impressive and ornate protuberance they also have a smaller thoracic horn, also forked. Their eyes may be white or red and are adapted to low light levels, as this species is nocturnal. The body is dark brown, while the ventral part of the body is black, brilliant and the front legs are unusually long. Like all Dynastinae species, these beetles are strong flyers, although they never cover long distances during the flight. The preferred foods are tree saps, fruits and anything sugary.
This species is present in Japan (Honshu, Kyūshū and other islands including Okinawa), Taiwan, Korean Peninsula and eastern China. It can be found in broad-leaved forests in tropical and subtropical mountainous habitats.
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Wikipedia