Dynastes hercules in America?

Any idea where can i get or if i can get a hercules beetle in the US?

The US has two species that resemble the exotic, illegal species

Western hercules (Dynastes granti) and Eastern Hercules (Dynastes tityus)

D. granti should be flying very soon after the seasonal rains in AZ.

MeoWorks said:

The US has two species that resemble the exotic, illegal species

Western hercules (Dynastes granti) and Eastern Hercules (Dynastes tityus)

D. granti should be flying very soon after the seasonal rains in AZ.

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Breaking me heart man, breaking my heart...

seckardt said:

Breaking me heart man, breaking my heart...

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Well, let’s speak to the USDA. And let’s exonerate the exotic Dynastinae from the black list. By the time Dynastinae south of our border is de-regulated, we’ll be in a nursing home.

Rique said:

we’ll be in a nursing home.

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Ahh, so you’re an optimist?

The Mantis Menagerie said:

Ahh, so you’re an optimist?

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Lol I want to be more optimistic! lol...I do want it to happen in our lifetime. Like it happened in Japan! Imagine that! It would be Christmas every day for me. For all of us, actually.

But these are my self-reflections...these are the thoughts that I reflect on when I see, say for instance, D. neptunus, or D. satanas, or M. mars, or M. elephas on eBay...and I want to buy larvae, but I don’t and my heart sinks...

A.
The USDA obviously does not have the de-regulating of exotic scarabs at the top of the agenda.

B.
The USDA does indeed have expert ecologists, biologists, and entomologists in their staff. I’m sure they are quite informed and have material readily available regarding exactly the life histories of any in question. Now just how the beetles would factor into our varied ecosystems and habitats and what detriment or imbalance - if any - they might cause to them, is at their discretion and interpretation. I concede this is a serious issue to consider.

C.
...We may not see our dreams of rearing exotic scarabs come true for many years - unlike our Japanese friends - as more important and additional priorities will be given to agricultural output and ecological stability and factors complicating this in the future. Insert: national economic and agricultural interface.

D.
The exotic scarabs not yet accepted are still - at this moment - considered potential threats to the flora and fauna, not excepting agriculture...until proven otherwise. And it comes down to practical use of the USDA as a government agency to ensure and safeguard its purpose and objective. I realize this. And I understand this. Thus, I regret to think that this topic of de-regulating of exotic scarabs is doubtless at the very bottom of the list...if it is even there at all. And here I must say, Japan had this topic much higher on their list...and that was years ago, too.

PS - Personally, I really long for the day Dynastinae and Megasoma south of the border are officially de-regulated. It would make many scarab enthusiasts - all of us - very, very happy!

Rique said:

Lol I want to be more optimistic! lol...I do want it to happen in our lifetime. Like it happened in Japan! Imagine that! It would be Christmas every day for me. For all of us, actually.

But these are my self-reflections...these are the thoughts that I reflect on when I see, say for instance, D. neptunus, or D. satanas, or M. mars, or M. elephas on eBay...and I want to buy larvae, but I don’t and my heart sinks...

A.
The USDA obviously does not have the de-regulating of exotic scarabs at the top of the agenda.

B.
The USDA does indeed have expert ecologists, biologists, and entomologists in their staff. I’m sure they are quite informed and have material readily available regarding exactly the life histories of any in question. Now just how the beetles would factor into our varied ecosystems and habitats and what detriment or imbalance - if any - they might cause to them, is at their discretion and interpretation. I concede this is a serious issue to consider.

C.
...We may not see our dreams of rearing exotic scarabs come true for many years - unlike our Japanese friends - as more important and additional priorities will be given to agricultural output and ecological stability and factors complicating this in the future. Insert: national economic and agricultural interface.

D.
The exotic scarabs not yet accepted are still - at this moment - considered potential threats to the flora and fauna, not excepting agriculture...until proven otherwise. And it comes down to practical use of the USDA as a government agency to ensure and safeguard its purpose and objective. I realize this. And I understand this. Thus, I regret to think that this topic of de-regulating of exotic scarabs is doubtless at the very bottom of the list...if it is even there at all. And here I must say, Japan had this topic much higher on their list...and that was years ago, too.

PS - Personally, I really long for the day Dynastinae and Megasoma south of the border are officially de-regulated. It would make many scarab enthusiasts - all of us - very, very happy!

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Goliathus was deregulated, so that weakens one of the USDA’s greatest arguments about the possibility of introducing parasitoids and diseases. Goliaths inhabit many of the same niches as other large species, so why are they less of a threat on the vector aspect? They are also carnivorous, so I would think that they could be more dangerous than others because they are eating other larvae who might be carrying pathogens.

The Mantis Menagerie said:

Goliathus was deregulated, so that weakens one of the USDA’s greatest arguments about the possibility of introducing parasitoids and diseases. Goliaths inhabit many of the same niches as other large species, so why are they less of a threat on the vector aspect? They are also carnivorous, so I would think that they could be more dangerous than others because they are eating other larvae who might be carrying pathogens.

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I agree with you. Why are the others not de-regulated? Why did they begin with one from another continent and not one from their own? Again, I am sure USDA scientists are knowledgeable about life histories.

If I import Goliathus today from outside the US territories, will it be destroyed by customs? Or will they take a written description of what larvae are packaged at face value? Or are we strictly obtaining these only from a specific source within the US? How did Japan ensure permission of species through customs? I assume this was done via a vis authorized breeders within their country to then allow distribution to the consumer. There are too many questions still. It is very nice to know that Goliathus was de-regulated, but I don’t have any owing to the questions above.

PS - As a side note, in response to your description of the unusual suspected carnivorous dietary habits of Goliathus imagos, I do remember Daniel Ambuehl and fellow Swedish breeder, in one of his many YouTube videos on rearing Goliathus regius, explore the possibility of cannibalism. I am under the impression that they must do a fair share of devouring other soft insects or insect nymphs or larvae of high protein content, in their natural substrate.

PPS - Are you rearing Goliathus already? I’m looking forward to it!

Rique said:

I agree with you. Why are the others not de-regulated? Why did they begin with one from another continent and not one from their own? Again, I am sure USDA scientists are knowledgeable about life histories.

If I import Goliathus today from outside the US territories, will it be destroyed by customs? Or will they take a written description of what larvae are packaged at face value? Or are we strictly obtaining these only from a specific source within the US? How did Japan ensure permission of species through customs? I assume this was done via a vis authorized breeders within their country to then allow distribution to the consumer. There are too many questions still. It is very nice to know that Goliathus was de-regulated, but I don’t have any owing to the questions above.

PS - As a side note, in response to your description of the unusual suspected carnivorous dietary habits of Goliathus imagos, I do remember Daniel Ambuehl and fellow Swedish breeder, in one of his many YouTube videos on rearing Goliathus regius, explore the possibility of cannibalism. I am under the impression that they must do a fair share of devouring other soft insects or insect nymphs or larvae of high protein content, in their natural substrate.

PPS - Are you rearing Goliathus already? I’m looking forward to it!

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I think that one of the biggest reasons why other dynastids haven't been legalized is most likely because of the coconut rhino beetle, which feeds on live coconut trees and has caused quite a problem. Some lucanids,mostly Dorcus sp, had apparently managed t escape in some parts of Korea and JApan, and were able to crossbreed with the already native species and I believe that they have begun competing with each other for resources.

mantisfan101 said:

I think that one of the biggest reasons why other dynastids haven't been legalized is most likely because of the coconut rhino beetle, which feeds on live coconut trees and has caused quite a problem. Some lucanids,mostly Dorcus sp, had apparently managed t escape in some parts of Korea and JApan, and were able to crossbreed with the already native species and I believe that they have begun competing with each other for resources.

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I am sure that that is definitely a contributing reason. The damage has been remarkable. And yet I feel that the result of hybrids resulting from exotics and our own indigenous two dynastes is questionable. I doubt successful copulations would take place, unless it were to occur with dwarfed or smaller hercules hercules or other exotic dynastes. Another major reason would be what you described earlier: the potential of introducing non-native pathogens or diseases into our ecosystems. As it is, the USDA is struggling with several issues, including longhorn beetles in the east, and an invasive busprestidae on conifers, if I’m not mistaken.

Still, it is doubtful if any harm at all would come by allowing hercules hercules or elephas indigenous to Mexico, as the habitats in the US may not be conducive to sustain a wild population of either or both, anyway. But yes, depending on the point of origin, the risk of introducing parasites or disease is always a risk, even if the vector is in itself harmless.

By the way, if you or anyone else knows of how I could get M. vogti, I would be interested. I’m not sure if there is a source/collector for it yet. It is the largest of our Megasoma...and definitely worth finding a source for.

Let me know if you have any success with getting Goliathus. I guarantee you that granti and tityus existing during the Pleistocene were much larger than they are today. It may be possible to replicate climate conditions and oxygen concentrations, and produce larger beetles...not merely by nutritional mods, as they do in Japan. This only increases size modestly. But to increase the size exponentially, a look into substrate conditions and climate in the Pleistocene and then replicate them would be awesome!