Xylotrupes Socrates (Siamese Rhinoceros Beetle) Behavior on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
''Xylotrupes socrates'', commonly known as the Siamese rhinoceros beetle or fighting beetle ( th, กว่างชน), is a species of large
Like most dynastid beetles, the adult male of ''X. socrates'' possesses two horns: one on the head and another on the pronotum, both bifurcate and curling inward. Adult females lack these horns. Both sexes have dark chestnut-brown (is young) or black (is old) exoskeletons and elytra.
Beetle fighting
. Insect fighting coaches claim their activity provides a free pastime while drawing attention to insects that would otherwise have been ignored or simply killed as pests.
scarab beetle
The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide; they are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family has undergone significant change in recent years. Several sub ...
belonging to the subfamily Dynastinae. It is particularly known for its role in insect fighting
Insect fighting is a range of competitive sporting activity, commonly associated with gambling, in which insects are pitted against each other.
Background
Forms of insect-fighting as spectator sport are practiced in regions of China, Japan, ...
in Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
.
Description
Like most dynastid beetles, the adult male of ''X. socrates'' possesses two horns: one on the head and another on the pronotum, both bifurcate and curling inward. Adult females lack these horns. Both sexes have dark chestnut-brown (is young) or black (is old) exoskeletons and elytra.
Distribution
The species is widespread insouth-east Asian
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
countries such as Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
, Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
, Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
, Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, and Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
.
Beetle fighting
These beetles are used for staging beetle fights, a traditional form of entertainment popular in the northern region of Thailand. They are captured and trained to become stronger and more aggressive. In the fight the beetle that lifts its opponent up by its horns wins. A beetle may also win if his opponent crawls away, falls, or is overturned. Insect fighting is mostly practiced in theChiang Mai
Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...
and Nan provinces of Thailand. It is also popular in Myanmar and Northern Laos. Spectators typically place bets on the fights.. Insect fighting coaches claim their activity provides a free pastime while drawing attention to insects that would otherwise have been ignored or simply killed as pests.
References
External links
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q14868686 Dynastinae Culture of Thailand Beetles described in 1864 Beetles of Asia Insects of Laos Insects of Bangladesh Insects of India Insects of Thailand Insects of Vietnam Insects of China Insects of Nepal Insects of Cambodia Articles containing video clips