Samoan Rhinoceros Beetle vs Indian Flower Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Samoan Rhinoceros Beetle Indian Flower Wasp
Scientific Name Scapanes australis Scolia quadripustulata
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Scoliidae
Size 40-70 mm 18-28 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Wood Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Oceania (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa) India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia
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.

Indian Flower Wasp

A robust black scoliid wasp with four yellowish spots on its abdomen found across South Asia. It targets white grubs of scarab beetles in agricultural soils.

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Did You Know?

Indian farmers have long recognized this wasp as a beneficial ally against destructive white grubs in sugarcane fields.