AwA Dynastine Rhinoceros Beetle (Dasygnathus trituberculatus)

Hello, my name is Ambrose, and today we're going to be having a look at the Dynastine Rhinoceros Beetle. This Dynastine Rhinoceros Beetle is a native Australian species of scarab beetle. Its scientific name is Dasygnathus trituberculatus. It might be called trituberculatus because this male has three tubercles. You might have guessed because of what I just said, that these rhino beetles are sexually dimorphic. You may also remember that sexually dimorphic means that the females and males are different in appearance. The male bears a short, curved, vertical, backwards-projecting horn on his head, and two small forward-projecting horns on his pronotum. The horns are made of chitin, just like the rest of the beetle’s exoskeleton. They are hollow and dry and do not contain any blood or other gooey substances. His horns are used for foraging and digging in the soil, burrowing himself underground and yeah, you guessed it, for combat with other males during mating season. The females are not adorned with horns, but they do release pheromones to attract the males, just like many other insects such as the female flower wasp. She is a very unusual looking insect as she has no wings. Female rhino beetles lay their eggs underneath soil and rotting logs. When the eggs hatch the larvae continue living in the soil and under rotting logs as they still feed on decaying vegetation and wood. The larvae are fed on by birds, parasitic flies, and parasitic wasps, such the female flower wasp I just mentioned. The female flower wasps burrow underground to find scarab beetle larvae. When they find the larvae, they will lay their eggs inside of them. Now I'm proud to announce for the second year I'm the Team Conservationist for Boarding World and Biking World. Thank you so much for having me aboard. Pun. When disturbed, these rhino beetles will make a loud squeaking sound by moving their thorax. When animals make sounds by using their body, it’s called stridulation. Now, while we’re watching this rhino beetle, I'd like to give a shout-out to this month’s Super Thanks supporters. They are: Pink Fairy Armadillos, Lenin Rance, and Boarding World and Biking World Teams. Thank you so much for your support. Ooh, that was a close one. Now when a rhino beetle or any beetle is clinging to you, you might find it difficult to remove Because if you try to pry the beetle off, it will cling even more tightly. Now, instead of trying to pry or pull the beetle off, which can hurt it, gently stroke the beetle’s elytra, like this... See how he's loosened his grip and is now walking away? Well, that's because it's time to say goodbye. Ooh, now that was a close one. Well, I think it's time for me to say goodbye. So, thanks for watching. Remember to subscribe so you never miss out on one of my adventures. Bye. Bye.