Samoan Rhinoceros Beetle vs Warble Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Samoan Rhinoceros Beetle Warble Fly
Scientific Name Scapanes australis Hypoderma bovis
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Scarabaeidae Oestridae
Size 40-70 mm 13-15 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Wood Feeders Predators
Regions Oceania (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Samoa) Europe, Asia, North America
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.

Warble Fly

A large, hairy bee-like fly whose larvae migrate through the bodies of cattle for months before emerging from cysts in the back. Adults have vestigial mouthparts and cannot feed.

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Did You Know?

The buzzing of a single warble fly approaching can cause an entire herd of cattle to stampede in panic, a behavior called gadding.