Eastern Hercules Beetle

Eastern United States in deciduous forests with abundant rotting wood and leaf litter

Larvae eat decaying wood and organic matter; adults feed on the sap of trees and rotting fruit

Adults are nocturnal and often attracted to lights. Their color can change from greenish-gray to dark brown depending on the humidity and moisture level of their elytra.

Harmless to humans; their larvae act as important decomposers that help cycle nutrients back into the forest soil.