Samoan Rhinoceros Beetle vs Bornean Peacock Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Samoan Rhinoceros Beetle Bornean Peacock Beetle
Scientific Name Scapanes australis Lamprosoma bicolor
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Chrysomelidae
Size 40-70 mm 5-10 mm
Habitat Farmland Underground
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Oceania (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa) Southeast Asia (Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Samoan Rhinoceros Beetle

A large rhinoceros beetle found in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and parts of Samoa. Males have a large forked horn on the head. It is associated with palm trees and is attracted to fermenting coconut sap.

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Did You Know?

Males use their forked head horn to pry rival males off tree trunks during battles over feeding and mating sites.

Bornean Peacock Beetle

A small, dome-shaped leaf beetle with spectacular iridescent elytra that shift from purple to green to gold. The body is hemispherical and compact, resembling a tiny metallic droplet.

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Did You Know?

The extreme iridescence is thought to confuse predators by creating shifting reflections that make the beetle hard to focus on.