Chalcosoma Beetles
Chalcosoma rhinoceros beetles are found in south-east Asia. They are all very large and the species look very similar to each other. The males all have three horns on their heads that they use to fling other beetles. The males all have a shiny outer. The females all have hairy elytra and are also very similar in color and shape to each other.
Chalcosoma Chiron
These large, violent beetles are found in south-east Asia. They have a reputation of being the world's strongest rhinoceros beetle. The males can grow up to 130mm long. Their head has three large horns. The male's front legs are very long, which allows them to hold on tightly to tree trunks and the females when they mate. They are also very sharp and so are its nails. They can cause cuts and injuries to humans so they must be handled with care. They are very aggressive and strong. It can be challenging to get these beetles to mate as the males have a tendency to violently deal with the female, occasionally resulting in the death of the female. The male and female should be kept in separate containers. These beetles are also very weak to hot weather. Temperatures above 28 degrees Celsius can lead to the beetle's death. The adult beetles live for around 5 months.
Chalcosoma Atlas
These large beetles are found in many places around east Asia. The males can grow up to 110mm long. Their head has three large horns. They use these horns to fight against other males. The adult beetles and their larvae are quite resilient. The male will often flick his head back if you are holding it to try and pinch you in the area between the back of its head and its body. The adult beetles can live up to 8 months. For people living in Japan, they are considered an easy beetle to breed for first time breeders of an exotic rhinoceros beetle.
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Chiron vs Atlas
Both the Chiron and Atlas rhinoceros beetle look very similar, but they do have slight differences.
The male chiron (above left) has a slightly larger body than the atlas (above right). The largest chiron beetles have been known to be at least 20mm longer than the largest atlas beetles.
The front legs on the male chiron are also exceptionally long. He needs to fold them over, kind of like when you put your elbows on the table, when he is in confined spaces.
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The easiest difference can be seen on their horns. Chiron beetles have a tooth (jagged edge) about halfway down their middle horn.
The short hair on the back of the female chiron beetle feels rough if you rub your fingers over it.
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Atlas beetles do not have this tooth (jagged edge) halfway down their middle horn. It is smooth.
The hair on the back of the female atlas beetle feels prickly if you rub your fingers over it.
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