Megasoma elephas
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The elephant beetle (Megasoma elephas) is a member of the family Scarabaeidae and the subfamily Dynastinae. Elephant beetles are Neotropical rhinoceros beetles. Elephant beetles are black in color and covered with a coat of fine microscopic hairs. The hairs grow particularly thick on the beetle's elytra, and give its body a yellowish color. Males have two horns protruding from the head and another from the prothorax. The longest head horn gives the beetle its common name, since it resembles an elephant’s trunk. Females have no horns. The horns are used for defense, and in competition among males for food and mates.
In size, elephant beetles typically range between 7 and 12 cm (2.75–4.75 in), with the largest male specimen known measuring 13.7 cm, including the horn. Elephant beetles are located in southern Mexico, Central America, and in South American rainforests.
The female elephant... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bastimentos Island National Marine Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Marino Ballena National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Tortuguero National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Piedras Blancas National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Cahuita National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 9 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Elephant Beetle sighting in Soberanía National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 45th most-seen of the 253 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Elephant Beetle in Soberanía National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to March, the lowest months. Those are among Soberanía National Park's wettest months, with about 320 mm of rain a month against 25 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Elephant Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
6th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Elephant Beetle sightings, Soberanía National Park ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park (Panama, about 20%), Marino Ballena National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%) and Tortuguero National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
Same family: Scarabaeidae
The closest relatives of the Elephant Beetle that you can see in Soberanía National Park (family Scarabaeidae, Scarabs) are Canthon septemmaculatus (about 10%), Cyclocephala lunulata (about 10%) and Aloeus Ox Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Elephant Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Soberanía National Park (23 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
