Rhinoceros Beetle-People: Weightlifting Champions of the Animal Kingdom

Beetle-people belong to an order of animal-people known as “Coleoptera.” It’s the largest such order on the planet, comprising about 25% of all species. “Dynastinae” or rhinoceros beetle-people are noted for their peculiar shape and relatively massive size.

Our appearance is quite enthralling, with a cylindrical exoskeleton made of chitin, a complex substance made from sugar molecules. Our glossy blue-black body is covered with small pits and grooves, which provide camouflage in the forest.

Our subfamily is blessed with another unique feature: Each male rhino beetle-person has at least one horn on his head. Each variety of rhino beetle-people has a distinctive design. Horns come in different sizes and shapes. As for our other features, we have compound eyes with many hexagonal units called “ommatidia.” In addition, we have sensitive antennae with receptors for touch, smell, and taste. Then, we have two pairs of wings.

Aside from our good looks, we are also extremely strong. Gram for gram, you could say we are the world’s weightlifting champions, although our competitions are run differently than humans’. According to the Guinness World Records book, we can lift 850 times our own weight! When metabolism is measured by examining oxygen input, we use only four times more oxygen than normal while supporting 30 times our weight.

Like most insect-folk, we go through a process of transformation from being immature to fully developed. The four phases of complete metamorphosis are egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Somewhat sadly, full-grown rhinoceros beetle-people live for only four months at most.

I think you will agree that we rhino beetle-people are precious beings. In our formative years, we digest and thereby recycle dead plants, and as adults, we get our peaceful nutrition from fruit and sap. Did you know that you can aid our survival by choosing to be vegan? We have lost many trees and forests just for animal-people livestock. If everyone stopped eating meat, vast woodland areas would be left alone, and Earth would make a full recovery. Can I count on you to do your part?