Species for Sale: Rhinoceros Beetles

Large beetles like rhinoceros and stag beetles are very popular as pets and collectibles in Asia. Males are particularly sought after in some countries for the spectator sport of ‘beetle-wrestling’, in which they are made to fight each other. Most of the rhinoceros beetles traded are collected from Central and South America, where their species diversity is highest, but they may also be collected from Southeast Asia and Oceania, including from within protected areas (Leung, 2020; New, 2005; Brock, 2006). Within Hong Kong, the beetle trade (which caters primarily to local customers) and interest in collecting rhinoceros beetles peaked around a decade ago, thanks to a then-popular Japanese video cum card game, Mushi King, that heavily featured them. Since then, the game has lost popularity and the fad of pet beetles in Hong Kong has largely faded with it. However, rhinoceros beetles can still be bought as pets and for beetle wrestling in places like Mong Kok and Kwun Tong, with pet shops selling both exotic and, to a lesser extent, native species. Depending on their rarity and size, prices can range from HK$100 per pair to HK$1,000 per individual (Leung, 2020; Ferguson, 2019). <a href="https://medium.com/wwfhk-e/species-for-sale-rhinoceros-beetles-1c6e2b707ca4">Website</a>