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Dynastes moroni
A white rhinoceros beetle confined to the Santa Martha massif in southern Veracruz, Mexico. The male's head and pronotum are black, giving it the look of a small Hercules beetle, and the female too is blackened over much of the body.
Dynastes moroni is a member of the genus Dynastes recorded from the Santa Martha massif, an isolated range in southern Veracruz, Mexico, and is also called the Morón rhinoceros beetle. It is named for the Mexican scarab specialist Miguel Ángel Morón-Ríos and was first described as a subspecies of D. hyllus. Later genetic work showed it to be close not to D. hyllus but to D. maya, and it is treated as a species in its own right. Males measure 53-84.5mm, or 53-96mm in some references, and females 55-60.4mm. The male's head and pronotum are black, so that it is described either as a small Hercules beetle or as intermediate between D. hyllus and D. hercules. Many females are blackened not only on the head and pronotum but over the front half of the elytra, and this darkening of most of the body is not seen in the females of other white rhinoceros beetles.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Morón's Rhinoceros Beetle lives Adults 4-8 months.
The Morón's Rhinoceros Beetle grows to Males 53-84.5mm (53-96mm in some references), females 55-60.4mm.
The ideal temperature for the Morón's Rhinoceros Beetle is 18℃.
Origin
Mexico (the Santa Martha massif in southern Veracruz, in the Sierra de los Tuxtlas)
Lifespan
Sources: Wikipedia (ja): Dynastes grantii, section covering D. moroni / Wikipedia (en): Dynastes moroni / BE-KUWA Certified Breeding Records (Mushi-sha, FY2025 edition PDF, JA) / GBIF: Dynastes hyllus moroni Nagai, 2005
Captive record (♂)
105.1 mm
Record source: BE-KUWA 2025 edition, large rhinoceros beetle records (Hyllus shiro (moroni): captive 105.1mm, Koji Takao, registered 2011, expected maximum 108mm). The Japanese Wikipedia likewise gives 105.1mm as the longest captive-reared beetle
Notable localities
The type locality, Santa Martha, is also where Morón recorded Dynastes hercules tuxtlaensis Morón, 1993, the northernmost subspecies of the Hercules beetle.
Generation codes
Sources: BE-KUWA Certified Breeding Records (Mushi-sha, FY2025 edition PDF, JA) / Wikipedia (ja): Dynastes grantii, section on related species
Edited & verified by: BreederDirect editorial team
The taxonomic, regulatory, and husbandry data on this page are compiled and verified against the authoritative primary sources below.
Accepted name: Dynastes moroni Nagai, 2005
Synonyms: Dynastes hyllus moroni
Nomenclature follows global taxonomic authority databases.
Sources: CITES Appendix (checklist.cites.org)
Regulations may change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant authorities.
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Adults 4-8 months
Size
Males 53-84.5mm (53-96mm in some references), females 55-60.4mm
Temperature
18℃
Humidity
60〜80%
Adults take beetle jelly; larvae eat fermented substrate
It comes from the elevated Santa Martha massif; keep the substrate at a moisture that forms a ball when squeezed.
The female builds an egg chamber in firmly packed substrate at the base of the container. The BE-KUWA 2025 edition gives a captive record of 105.1mm (Koji Takao, registered 2011, expected maximum 108mm), ahead of the 98.2mm of the nominate D. hyllus.
Adults are kept singly and put together only for pairing. Males fight with their horns and must always be separated. Its range is narrow, so do not mix it with D. hyllus or with beetles from other localities.
A captive record registered in 2011 shows that it has been bred through generations in Japan.
It occurs only in a limited massif in southern Veracruz and is not widely available. Sources differ on its rank, so note that beetles listed under the subspecies name Dynastes hyllus moroni are the same animal. Importing foreign rhinoceros beetles falls under the Plant Protection Act, and whether a given species may enter depends on the country it comes from, so domestically bred stock is the safe choice.
Advanced. This is an advanced-level species. It requires specialized equipment and advanced husbandry skills with precise environmental control.
The ideal temperature for Morón's Rhinoceros Beetle is 18℃. Avoid sudden temperature changes and maintain a stable environment.
The average lifespan of Morón's Rhinoceros Beetle is Adults 4-8 months. With proper care and nutrition, they can live a long and healthy life.
Morón's Rhinoceros Beetle typically reaches Males 53-84.5mm (53-96mm in some references), females 55-60.4mm as an adult. Size may vary depending on care conditions and individual genetics.
Morón's Rhinoceros Beetle feeds on: Adults take beetle jelly; larvae eat fermented substrate. Aim for a balanced diet with appropriate feeding frequency.
The price of Morón's Rhinoceros Beetle varies significantly depending on bloodline, size, captive-bred generation, and sex. Check our market price page for the latest pricing information.
Last updated: September 17, 2026