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Elephant Beetle vs Rhino Beetle

October 30th, 2009 Posted in Beetles & Ladybugs

Who do you think would win in a fight, an elephant or a rhinoceros? Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but it’s a hard call to make. Now, what about a fight between an elephant beetle and a rhinoceros beetle? Well, that’s a much easier choice, but you will have to wait and see.

This article will help you understand:

• The Elephant Beetle
• The Rhino Beetle
• Who Would Win A Battle?
• Management Of Both

The Elephant Beetle

Native to Central and South America’s rain forests, the Elephant beetle have many similar features to that of an actual elephant. They’re called elephant beetles because of their trunk-like horns protruding from their heads, only the male beetles have these elephant-like trunks. Like elephants, they’re fruit eaters, eating any fruit they can get their hands on. However, they like bananas above all else.

They’re very peaceful, until they’re forced to protect a mate, when vying for a mate, and when they’re protecting territory from other males. This behavior is very similar to that of elephants, because they too are peaceful, unless threatened. They’re considered one of the biggest beetles in the world. They can be as long as 6 inches, basically comparable in size to a full-grown hamster.

The beetles are close to being endangered because of deforestation of the rain forests all across the world. Elephant beetle’s larvae must develop in rotten logs, thus their habitats are quickly shrinking. So, what does this have to do with an epic battle of the beetles? You shall see soon enough, after some background on the rhino beetle, of course.

The Rhino Beetle

The rhino beetle is found on every continent, but has become really popular in Asia as household pets. Like the elephant beetle, they are huge. They can range from anywhere from 4 to 6 inches long. They tend to weigh around 30 to 40 grams. The name rhino beetle, comes from the fact that they have a similar tusk-like horn to that of a real rhinoceros.

Their larval stage takes a long time to complete, for some species even years. They too feed on wood, nectar, plants, fruits, and vegetables. They also use their rhino-like horn to fight other males for females and for their own personal space, other than that they tend to be peaceful.

Who Would Win A Battle?

So, if both of these beetles are relatively peaceful than who would win? The rhino beetle would be the victor of course. When measuring proportional strength, you gauge how much an animal can pick up in relation to their own weight. Thus making the rhino beetle the strongest animal in the world.

The rhinoceros beetle can pick up 850 times its own weight. An elephant beetle can only pick up 25% of its own body weight, which makes them weak in comparison. It is believed these beetles became this strong because they had to forage through the heavy littered floors of jungles and forests. Using its horn, it can dig itself out of any situation away from predators, quickly burying itself underground. Thus in any brawl with the elephant beetle, the rhino beetle would come out victorious, by simply being able to pick up the elephant beetle with ease.

Management Of Both

Both beetles are generally not considered pests, but at times they have been a nuisance in plantations and gardens, because their larva tend to eat the roots of trees and plants. Because the elephant beetle is endangered, don’t kill it. Make sure to quickly scoop it and any larva up, and take them to your local zoo.

If you have any other problems with them or other pests make sure to use EcoSMART’s organic insecticides to properly protect your garden and your home.