Hercules Beetle vs Mariana Eight-spot Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hercules Beetle Mariana Eight-spot Butterfly
Scientific Name Dynastes hercules Hypolimnas octocula marianensis
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Dynastidae Nymphalidae
Size 50-85 mm (up to 170 mm with horn) 5-7 cm wingspan
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Central America, South America United States
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Hercules Beetle

One of the largest beetles in the world. Males sport enormous horns used in combat for mates. The elytra can change color from green-yellow to black depending on humidity.

💡

Did You Know?

The Hercules beetle can carry up to 850 times its own body weight, making it one of the strongest animals on Earth relative to its size.

Mariana Eight-spot Butterfly

A butterfly subspecies endemic to the Mariana Islands in the western Pacific. It has suffered from habitat destruction and invasive species.

💡

Did You Know?

The brown tree snake, an invasive predator, has devastated many native species on Guam including this butterfly.