Oryctes [ 1 ] is the economically most important genus of rhinoceros beetles in the subfamily Dynastinae family : Scarabaeidae and includes serious pests of palm trees. The extant species are widely distributed in Africa, as well as in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. No established populations are known from the Americas.
They can be distinguished from other genera in the tribe Oryctini by the structure of the pronotum, the horn on the head, the mouthparts and other features. Type species: Scarabaeus nasicornis Linnaeus, , a synonym of Oryctes nasicornis [ 7 ]. Most of the extant species of Oryctes are found in Africa with only 8 species in Asia and the Pacific, 3 in the Near East and 1 in Europe. Eight species Oryctes amberiensis, O.
It is widespread in most European countries and has been also reported from some of the neighbouring regions like parts of northern Africa, the Near East and Turkey. A third one, Oryctes richteri , has been reported only from Iran. Oryctes rhinoceros is widespread in southern Asia and the Pacific. Two extinct species, described from German deposits, are also sometimes assigned to Oryctes.
The species of Oryctes can be distinguished from other genera in the subfamily Dynastinae and the tribe Oryctini by a combination of different morphological features. Within a given species, there can be a considerable variation in size, length of the horn and structure of the pronotum.
In some species, such variation may be due to the suitability of the breeding substrate. However, in the type species, Oryctes nasicornis , such variation is often genetic and is linked to different subspecies. The subgenera and individual species of Oryctes are characterized, among others by: [ 4 ].
