or yellow in color, but darken to black at higher humidity due to its hygrochromic properties. Females of D. hercules have punctured elytra which are usually entirely black, but sometimes have the last quarter of the elytra colored in the same way as the males. Distribution and habitat Populations of D. hercules may be found from southern Mexico to Bolivia in mountainous and lowland rain forests. Known populations include the Lesser Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. Chromosomal analysis has shown that the genus Dynastes in fact originated from South America. Life cycle Not much is known about the life cycle in the wild, but much evidence has been gained through observations of captive-bred populations. The mating season for adults typically occurs during the rainy season (July to December). Females have an average gestation period of 30 days from copulation to egg-laying, and may lay up to 100 eggs on the ground or on dead wood. The eggs have an incubation period of approximately 27.7 days before they hatch. Once hatched, the larval stage of the Hercules beetle may last up to two years in duration, where it will go through 3 metamorphosis stages, also known as instars. The larvae have a yellow body with a black head. The larvae can grow up to in length and weigh more than 100 grams. In laboratory conditions at 25 ± 1°C, the first instar stage lasts an average of 50 days, the second stage an average of 56 days, and the third an average of 450 days. After the third instar stage, the pupal stage lasts about 32 days, where it will transition into an adult. Adult beetles can live for three to six months in captivity. Diet and behavior Diet The larvae of the Hercules beetle are saproxylophagous, meaning that they feed on rotting wood; they reside in same during their two-year developmental stage. The adult Hercules beetle feeds on fresh and rotting fruit, along with tree sap. Adults carve bark through the use of its synchronous mandibles to easily access the sap of trees. When these mandibles are closed, a narrow opening is formed which can act like a straw to allow consumption of tree sap. They have been observed feeding on peaches, pears, apples, grapes, bananas, and mangoes in captivity. Behavior Within their native rain forest habitats, the adult beetles, which are nocturnal, forage for fruit