The elephant beetle (Megasoma elephas) is a member of the family Scarabaeidae and the subfamily Dynastinae.
Nature's Recyclers
Elephant beetles play an important part in the environmental cycle because they remove dead and decaying organic material. Both the beetles and their larvae prefer their food rotten and decaying. The larvae dines on rotten wood and decaying leaves and roots while they grow. Each larva can eat more than 3 pounds of organic material by the time he reaches maturity. (see ref. 2, para 9) Rotten wood is a staple of the mature elephant beetle’s diet, but the bug also eats sap and fruit.
Elephant beetles play an important part in the environmental cycle because they remove dead and decaying organic material. Both the beetles and their larvae prefer their food rotten and decaying. The larvae dines on rotten wood and decaying leaves and roots while they grow. Each larva can eat more than 3 pounds of organic material by the time he reaches maturity. (see ref. 2, para 9) Rotten wood is a staple of the mature elephant beetle’s diet, but the bug also eats sap and fruit.
Advertisements
16 July 2023
Advertisements
