Oryctes boas
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Boas Rhinoceros Beetle sighting in Johannesburg on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 107th most-seen of the 213 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Boas Rhinoceros Beetle in Johannesburg on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and June–August, the lowest months. That is one of Johannesburg's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 130 mm in December.
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.
Among the best
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Boas Rhinoceros Beetle sightings, Johannesburg ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. 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 Johannesburg (family Scarabaeidae, Scarabs) are Derby's Flower Beetle (about 20%), Garden Fruit Chafer (about 20%) and White-Spotted 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 Johannesburg (14 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.
