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Eastern Hercules Beetle

Dynastes tityus[3]

The eastern Hercules beetle is one of the largest and heaviest insects in the U.S.: a greenish-tan, black-spotted scarab whose males carry long horns; it is not a pest and is harmless to people.[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Coleoptera
Family
Scarabaeidae
US records
23 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-16
Male eastern Hercules beetle with long horns, greenish-tan with black spots, on a hand
Male eastern Hercules beetle with long horns, greenish-tan with black spots, on a hand. (c) Kyle Rossner, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Where it lives
  3. Biology
  4. Damage and signs
  5. Health risk
  6. Control
  7. Related profiles
  8. Common questions
  9. Sources

How to identify it

  • Adults are greenish-gray, yellowish or tan with brown to black spots, rarely reddish brown; Texas A&M gives 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long and Clemson nearly 3 inches.[1][2]
  • Males have a long horn projecting forward from the thorax that nearly meets an upward horn on the head; females have no horns.[1][2]
  • Larvae are large white grubs, about as big as a finger.[1]

Where it lives

Found in the eastern United States; Clemson notes it is the only Hercules beetle in South Carolina.[1][2]

US map: public records from 23 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Grubs feed in rotting hardwood stumps and on dead leaves and other decaying material.[1]

Adults come to lights at night; little is known about what they eat, though they have been seen feeding on bark and leaves.[1]

Damage and signs

  • They are not pests; the grubs help break down rotting wood.[1]

Health risk

They don't bite or jab with their horns; at most you may feel a scratch from the claws on their feet if you pick one up.[1]

Control

Prevention

No control is needed.[1]

Common questions

Is the huge horned beetle dangerous?
No; eastern Hercules beetles won't bite or jab with their horns.[1]
Why do only some have horns?
Only males have horns, used in fights over females.[1][2]
Where do the grubs live?
In rotting hardwood stumps and decaying plant material.[1]

Sources

  1. Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center, “Eastern Hercules Beetles.” hgic.clemson.edu/eastern-hercules-beetles/ (accessed 2026-10-15)
  2. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Field Guide to Common Texas Insects), “Eastern Hercules Beetle.” web.archive.org/web/20250120114149/texasinsects.tamu.edu/eastern-hercules-beetle/ (accessed 2026-10-15). Archived copy (Internet Archive, captured 2025-01-20); the original page https://texasinsects.tamu.edu/eastern-hercules-beetle was retired and now redirects to the AgriLife Extension Entomology home page.
  3. iNaturalist, “Dynastes tityus taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/83804 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-16. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.