Most Female Rhinoceros Beetles Mate Only Once in Lifetime: Study

Tokyo, March 17 (Jiji Press)--A group of researchers including Wataru Kojima, an associate professor of animal ecology at Yamaguchi University's Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, has found that most female Japanese rhinoceros beetles mate only once in their lifetime, which is rare for an insect.

Usually, females of other insect species mate on multiple occasions.

The pre-mating behavior of the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, known as the "king of insects" in Japan, has been well documented, such as males fighting each other using their characteristic horns. Their post-mating behavior, however, remains largely unknown.

The research team's paper was published in an international journal on animal ecology earlier this month.

For its study, the group raised and studied 85 females. One to 28 days after initial copulation, most females rejected mating attempts by a different male beetle.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]