Eastern Hercules beetles are found in all of the eastern United States and as far west as Texas. The grubs reside in rotting wood like the one pictured above, whereas the adults will live throughout the forest feeding on sap and fruit.

As adults, eastern Hercules beetles feed mostly on tree saps from various species of tree and any occasional fallen fruit. As young, they feed on decaying wood from wild cherry, black locust, oak, pine, and willow trees.

Eastern Hercules beetles begin breeding in the spring after emerging from the soil. The females release chemical pheromones to attract males. When the males find a female this is when the fighting begins. The fights are usually not fatal but can cause some minor damage to their exoskeleton. The winner is usually the beetles who successful flips their opponent.

After mating, the female will lay around 50 eggs directly into decaying wood or the soil. In about one month, the larvae will hatch and over the course of 6 months to a year will grow to a grub that can measure up to 3 or 4 inches long. Interestingly, female beetles will lay eggs in the same source of wood year after year until it is all consumed and broken down.

Once the grubs have grown to their full size, they will transform into a pupa much like a caterpillar. During this stage they are usually buried underground or deep in decaying wood. They will overwinter in this stage and emerge as adults in the spring.

They get their name from their incredible strength. It is estimated that a Hercules beetle can lift over 100 times its own weight. It would be the equivalent of the average male lifting 14,000 pounds!

Part of the reason they have this extreme strength is they need to fight for a mate. Secondly, they have no internal skeleton and their “shell” is their skeleton. Much like crabs, this gives their muscle fibers more surface area to attach to, which gives them better leverage and greater strength.

These giant insects are important for the health of America’s eastern forests. Contrary to popular belief, dead and dying trees are the true gems of a forest ecosystem. All that wood goes through several stages of decomposition supporting hundreds of different species of plants, animals, insects, and birds. All of these animals, from woodpeckers to worms and the larvae of Hercules beetles, help break down the wood in various stages. They return all the nutrients to the soils and help provide nutrients for future generations of trees.

Hercules beetles go through four stages in their life. They start as an egg, then grow into a grub, then a pupae, and finally an adult beetle The grub is the one who helps break down decaying wood in its final stages. They usually feed on the oldest and most decomposed trees, oftentimes on the ground. These grubs could be a composter’s best friend.

Like most beetles, the eastern Hercules beetle can fly. When they do, they sound like hummingbirds but are much heavier than them.

Despite their intimidating appearance, they are completely harmless to humans and do not bite or sting. In fact, when handled, they are quite docile as can be see in the video below.