Talk:Hercules beetle

message: This is the longest beetle. Guinness has credited a length of 19 cm (7.48 in) for D. hercules, and 18 cm (7.09 in) for D. neptunus – though the latter seems rather generous, as most sources seem to put the maximum at 15.8–16.0 cm (6.22–6.30 in) for this species. The longest Titan beetle was a mere 16.7 cm, as can be seen from University of Flordia Book of Insect Records; this specimen was collected from French Guiana in 1989. I've also seen a weight of 34 g (1.2 oz) for D. hercules, which is very impressive indeed, as no adult non-gravid insect has been documented at over 50 g (1.76 oz) – despite contrary claims for the Goliath beetle. --Anshelm '77 18:33, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Length ranking 

message: The first general category that would be useful to include is familial interactions in Hercules beetles. While the entry talks about the life cycle, it does not talk about whether Hercules larvae receive parental care or if they interact with siblings. The entry mentions that the beetle is native to rainforests and has variable horn size, so it would also be informative to include whether the beetle has any evolved traits that make it accustomed to its habitat. The last topic I would have liked to see in the entry is predator-prey interaction. The author mentions that these beetles can create a “huffing” sound to warn against predators, but it is unclear whether these beetles group for protection or if they fend off predators alone, as well as who their predators would be.   — Preceding unsigned comment added by BreannaY77 (talk • contribs) 07:11, 15 February 2024 (UTC)
thread_title:  Useful sections to include 

message: I reverted a claim that they are wingless; at the very least it needs citation and detail. For one thing they visibly do have elytra -- forewings. I can well believe them to be flightless and to have non-functional or reduced hind-wings, but even if this is true it needs citation, and being flightless with reduced wings is not the same as "wingless". Furthermore, it was stated that this sets them apart from other beetles; it does nothing of the kind; there are thousands of flightless species of flightless beetles, many of which actually are wingless. JonRichfield (talk) 10:27, 12 May 2013 (UTC)
thread_title: Wingless???

message: Hello! This is a note to let the editors of this article know that :File:Dynastes hercules ecuatorianus MHNT.jpg will be appearing as picture of the day on January 13, 2014. You can view and edit the POTD blurb at Template:POTD/2014-01-13. If this article needs any attention or maintenance, it would be preferable if that could be done before its appearance on the Main Page. Thanks! — Crisco 1492 (talk) 00:57, 2 January 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: The caption is updated. --Archaeodontosaurus (talk) 10:50, 2 January 2014 (UTC)
thread_title: [[:File:Dynastes hercules ecuatorianus MHNT.jpg]] to appear as POTD 

message: This beetle is described as a beneficial contributor to the ecosystem. Which insect isn't? Is this not anthropomorphism? Mdubash (talk) 13:20, 28 June 2021 (UTC)
replies: text: Don't know if this is drastic but I feel like the section should be removed, since it doesn't provide any info that hasn't already been mentioned earlier in the article (e.g. saproxylophagy in D. hercules larvae) or is of any substance Atlas2432015 (talk) 18:30, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Beneficial insect 

message: — Assignment last updated by GrillinBubbles (talk) 14:55, 19 October 2022 (UTC)
thread_title: Wiki Education assignment: Invertebrate Zoology

message: This article provides an overview of the Hercules beetle with sections dedicated to its etymology, taxonomy, description, distribution and habitat, life cycle, diet and behavior, relationship to humans, and its relationship to the environment. 
A strength of the article is that it provides great visual aids throughout with images depicting the sexual dimorphism between females and males, illustrated images of Hercules beetles from hundreds of years ago, and an image puts the massive size of Hercules beetle larvae into perspective against the backdrop of someone’s hand. If possible, I would incorporate an image or video demonstrating the combat behavior between male Hercules beetles given that this is the primary usage of the large horns for which Hercules beetles are known for. 
Another strength of the article is its organization. No section or subsection contains more than two paragraphs of uninterrupted text with longer sections broken up by subsections or images. The organization of the page visually breaks down the page into a manner that is easily navigable and readable. However, I would argue that some of the sections are too short. The etymology, distribution and habitat, and relationship to the environment sections are only a few sentences and comprise entire sections. 
What I found most interesting to learn about was that the larval stage of the Hercules beetle can last up to two years and produces the largest larvae of any insect. Learning that Hercules beetle larvae can grow up to 4.5 inches in length and weigh more than 100 grams alongside an image of a Hercules beetle sitting comfortably in the palm of a person’s hand was quite shocking. 
Though I think the organization of the page through its use of sections and subsections is good, I would still advocate for the addition of certain sections. Though the article discusses combat behavior between males as a means to obtaining mating rights to a female, I would advocate for the addition of a subsection dedicated to mating overall. The combat behavior subsection ends by saying the beetles remain polygynandrous despite the successful male winning mating rights with the female. A section about mating could help to explain how Hercules beetles remain polygynandrous when they fight so aggressively for mating rights. 
I would also add an additional section or subsection relating to genetics in regards to evolution. Given the extreme sexual dimorphism and distinct combat behavior exhibited by Hercules beetles, a section describing the development of such a unique trait would be meaningful. Details regarding how a large horn evolutionarily benefits or costs Hercules beetles could prove meaningful. Such a section could also help to explain why Hercules beetle larvae grow to be so much larger than larvae of other insect species. 
A section regarding captivity could also be added under the relationship to humans section. Mentions of captivity in observations regarding life cycle, food source, combat behavior, and pet use are dispersed throughout the article. A dedicated section discussion the captivity could provide further details about how Hercules beetles behave outside of their natural environment and can be scientifically studied, especially in regards to the already included descriptions of enzymes that have been extracted and cloned from larvae fecal matter that lack further elaboration. 
I have noticed that the comments in the talk section of the page appear relatively formal and productive, generally offering possible revisions and inclusion to the discussion. I am surprised to see that the article is rated start-class given its well-written and well-organized nature. The extent of writing and breath of sections is relatively thorough, though I could understand that the limited information provided in certain sections could pose a limiting factor. 
I do, however, agree with the Hercules beetle’s assignment of mid-importance in regards to beetles and insects. It seems to me that Hercules beetles are relatively well-known, especially by individuals interested in animal ecology, though they have limited cultural and ecological impact, which would justify their ranking of mid-importance. Owen Guo (talk) 05:48, 16 February 2024 (UTC)
thread_title:  Comments on Article