Xylotrupes gideon

• Xylotrupes gideon borneensis Minck, 1920
• Xylotrupes gideon gideon (Linnaeus, 1767)
• Xylotrupes gideon lakorensis Silvestre, 2002
• Xylotrupes gideon sawuensis Silvestre, 2002
• Xylotrupes gideon sondaicus Silvestre, 2002

[1][2]

This species is widespread in Indonesia: Java (nomotypical form), Borneo (borneensis), Sunda Islands and Moluccas.

Xylotrupes gideon, male and females. Museum specimen

Xylotrupes gideon can reach a length of 3.5–7 centimetres (1.4–2.8 in).[3] As usual with rhinoceros beetles there is a great difference between the genders. Males are larger than females. They have two chitinous bifurcated horns, a thick thoracic horn and a smaller cephalic horn, which they use to eliminate their rivals during the mating period.[3] These beetles are shiny dark red, dark brown, or black in coloration. The eyes are located on each side of the head. When disturbed these beetles make a hissing noise, produced by rubbing the tip of the abdomen against the edge the elytra.[4]

The larvae develop in decaying vegetable matter and take usually two years in development, the adult beetles live 2–4 months. A female can lay about 20-30 eggs but it depends on the place where they lived .[5] 2-

• Xylotrupes ulysses
• Elephant beetle
• Rhinoceros beetle

• Rowland, J.M. (2011) Notes on nomenclature in Xylotrupes Hope (Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Dynastini)