Rhinoceros Stag Beetle vs Predatory Dung Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rhinoceros Stag Beetle Predatory Dung Beetle
Scientific Name Odontolabis gazella Deltochilum valgum
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Lucanidae Scarabaeidae
Size 35-80 mm 15-22 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Predators
Regions Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar) South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Rhinoceros Stag Beetle

A medium to large stag beetle with orange-brown elytra and a black head and thorax. Males exist in three distinct forms: large-mandibled, medium, and small-mandibled, each with different fighting strategies.

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Did You Know?

The three male forms use entirely different reproductive strategies: large males fight, medium males sneak, and small males employ rapid mating tactics.

Predatory Dung Beetle

An unusual roller dung beetle that has evolved predatory behavior, actively hunting and killing millipedes. It is dark brown to black with a flattened body shape. The species represents a remarkable dietary shift within dung beetles.

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Did You Know?

This is one of the only known predatory dung beetles, using its clypeus to decapitate millipedes before rolling the carcass away.