Bug FAQAfrican Rhinoceros Beetle
Oryctes monoceros · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Scarabaeidae
Also called: Coconut Beetle, Rhinoceros Beetle
Source: Wikipedia
Adult African rhinoceros beetles are about 4 cm long, dark reddish-brown to black, and the males have a moderately long, rear-curved horn while females have a very short one. They are native to sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Chad down to South Africa and are common on coastal areas of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa, where they attack coconut and oil palms at night. Control methods include burning breeding sites, insecticides, traps with attractants, protective barriers, virus introductions and using the vine Pueraria javanica, which was especially effective in Ivory Coast.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males have a moderately long horn that curves strongly toward the rear; females have a very short horn.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults are about 4 cm long and dark reddish-brown to black in colour.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Control measures include burning potential breeding sites, applying insecticides, trapping with attractants, using protective barriers, introducing viruses, and covering felled tree trunks with the vine Pueraria javanica.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are frequently reported from coastal eastern Africa such as Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults bore into the crowns of coconut and oil palms at night and feed on the young developing fronds.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults attack palms shortly after dark at night. Population levels depend mainly on the availability and suitability of breeding sites.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is similar in size and biology to Oryctes rhinoceros of Asia and the Pacific, but they belong to different subgenera.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
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Questions people ask
What trees does the African rhinoceros beetle damage?
It bores into and feeds on the young fronds of coconut and oil palms, harming those trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this beetle found?
It is native to sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Chad down to South Africa, including Madagascar, Seychelles and Réunion, and is common on the eastern African coast.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I control an African rhinoceros beetle infestation?
Control options include burning breeding sites, insecticide use, trapping with attractants, protective barriers, virus introductions, and covering felled trunks with the vine Pueraria javanica, which works well in Ivory Coast.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell this beetle apart from similar species?
It is about 4 cm long, dark reddish-brown to black, and males have a moderately long, rear-curved horn, whereas the similar Oryctes rhinoceros belongs to a different subgenus.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Scarabaeidae)
Japanese BeetlePopillia japonicaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common Green June BeetleCotinis nitidaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Phyllophaga crinitaPhyllophaga crinitaDamages trees, gardens or crops
European Rose ChaferCetonia aurata
Mediterranean Spotted ChaferOxythyrea funestaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Oriental BeetleExomala orientalisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryctes_monoceros
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.