Oryctes boas
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Oryctes boas is a species of rhinoceros beetles from the subfamily Dynastinae (family: Scarabaeidae) which is found in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa and in some neighboring parts of the Near East. It appears to be most common in south-eastern Africa. O. boas breeds mainly in compost heaps and is a pest of coconut palms. However, in West Africa it is usually less abundant and less destructive on coconut palms compared to Oryctes monoceros, a species with a similar distribution range and biology. Both species belong to the subgenus Rykanoryctes which is characterized by having 3 fixed (immovable) spikes at the tip of the hind tibia. The main morphological difference between both species is the size of the horn. In O. boas males, the horn is very long and curved backwards at the tip. O. boas is also smaller and heavier built compared to O. monoceros. The pronotum of O. boas males has a large depression (concavity) with two pointed teeth at its hind margin and dense hair in the anterior part. Females have a short horn and the depression on the pronotum is very small, round and usually with two knobs at the hind margin.
Oryctes boas was originally described by Fabricius... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Boas Rhinoceros Beetle sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 127th most-seen of the 311 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, June, August, October and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Boas Rhinoceros Beetle in Cape Town on a given day, against under 5% in January, March–May, July, September and November, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Boas Rhinoceros Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
6th of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Boas Rhinoceros Beetle sightings, Cape Town ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Harare (Zimbabwe, about 10%), Lusaka (Zambia, about 10%) and Nairobi (Kenya, about 10%).
Same family: Scarabaeidae
The closest relatives of the Boas Rhinoceros Beetle that you can see in Cape Town (family Scarabaeidae, Scarabs) are White-Spotted Fruit Chafer (about 10%), Cape Flatface Rhino Beetle (about 10%) and Garden Fruit Chafer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Boas Rhinoceros Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Cape Town (25 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
