Megasoma sp. Female - ID needed

A

AlexW

Eudicella
Found this sitting on a palm stump on a beach while on vacation in Mexico.

After trying to pry it off the stump and then have it cling so tightly to my hand it left red marks, I now know what Orin is referring to when the Ultimate Guide says "Dynastes Tityus hangs on tightly with claws". Ouch.
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No, it was in Puerto Vallarta on the Mexican mainland.

Elephas seems a bit too hairy on Google, perhaps it is something else?
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Over time, the hairs of elephas become worn off from abrasion, leaving the elytra darker and more shiny. This typically happens faster in females (since they dig through rotten wood to lay eggs).

I'm pretty sure this is elephas, as the species is known to occur in the forests around Puerto Vallarta. Here's a video of a male found there -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhU7j4tPCJw

 
I think this one is a Megasoma occidntalis.

The known distribution of M. elephas does not cover Puerto Vallarta,

but M. occidentalis does.

I believe that the male beetle shown in the video is a M. occidentalis too,

because of the angle/direction of how the thoracic horns protrudes.

These two species are very similar.

 
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