Japanese rhinoceros beetle

Japanese rhinoceros beetle
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Genus: Allomyrina
Species:
A. dichotoma
Binomial name
Allomyrina dichotoma
(Linnaeus, 1771) [1]
Synonyms
  • Trypoxylus dichotomus
  • Allomyrina dichotomus

The Japanese rhinoceros beetle (Allomyrina dichotoma), also known as the Japanese rhino beetle, the Japanese horned beetle, or by its Japanese name kabutomushi (甲虫 or カブトムシ), is a species of rhinoceros beetle. They are commonly found in continental Asia in countries such as China, the Korean peninsula, Japan, and Taiwan.[2] In these areas, this species of beetle is often found in broad-leaved forests with tropical or sub-tropical climates.[2] This beetle is well known for the prominent cephalic horn found on males.[3] Male Japanese rhinoceros beetles will use this horn to fight other males for territory and access to female mating partners. Upon contact, males will attempt to flip each other onto their backs or off of their feeding tree.[3] In response to selective pressures, smaller male A. dichotoma have adapted a "sneak-like behavior". These smaller beetles will attempt to avoid physical confrontation with larger males and try to mate with females.[3]

  1. ^ Linnaeus C. (1771) Carl Linnaeus Mantissa Plantarum, with an introduction by William T.Stearn, 6:137-588
  2. ^ a b Yang, Huan; You, Chong Juan; Tsui, Clement K. M.; Tembrock, Luke R.; Wu, Zhi Qiang; Yang, De Po (2020-12-22). "Phylogeny and biogeography of the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) based on SNP markers". Ecology and Evolution. 11 (1): 153–173. doi:10.1002/ece3.6982. ISSN 2045-7758. PMC 7790660. PMID 33437420.
  3. ^ a b c Hongo, Yoshihito (2007-12-01). "Evolution of male dimorphic allometry in a population of the Japanese horned beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus septentrionalis". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 62 (2): 245–253. doi:10.1007/s00265-007-0459-2. ISSN 1432-0762. S2CID 40212686.