Rhino Beetle

There are many beetles with horns and all are referred to as Rhino Beetles. The last picture is of the actual Rhinoceros Beetle (Oryctes boas) which is of medium size, brown and has a longish body. The other three shown here are: Dung Beetle (Copris elphener), Nursing Dung Beetle (Copris mesacanthus) and Trident Dung Beetle (Heliocopis neptunus)

Trident Dung Beetle (Heliocopis neptunus)

Family Scarabaeidae

Large bodied, about 37mm.

 Males have a fork-like 3-pronged extension to proton and a backward-curved horn on its head.

 Adults burrow below or beside fresh dung.

They are active at night and attracted to lights.

 Males and females jointly pack dung for breeding in hemispherical layers in expanded sections of tunnel forming spherical brood masses that resemble brood balls, each with an egg.

 Found in most areas except the Freestate and Cape.

Info: Field Guide to Insects of South Africa

Addo Flightless Dung Beetle (Circellium bacchus)

Family Scarabaeidae

The flightless dung beetle (Circellium bacchus) is a species of dung beetle endemic to a few areas of South Africa, including the Addo Elephant National Park and the Buffalo Valley Game Farm. It is the only species in the genus Circellium.

The species was originally widespread in Southern Africa, but it only survives in the few areas mentioned above; as such, it qualifies as an IUCN vulnerable species.

Its vulnerability is exacerbated by a number of other factors, including the fact that its habitat is under threat by agriculture and human activity, that is has low breeding capacity as well as low dispersability (as a consequence of being flightless), and that its survival is strictly dependent on a number of vertebrates (particularly elephant and buffalo) that are also experiencing a decrease in population.

The flightless dung beetles mostly feed on elephant or buffalo faeces, but they have been recorded to also feed on dung from other species such as rabbits, baboons, antelopes, and ostriches.

Info:

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flightless_dung_beetle}

Common Dotted Fruit Chafer (Cyrtothyrea marginalis) Scarabaeidae

 Family Scarabaeidae 

These are small beetles, about 9mm and are found in the coastal areas as well as central and northern regions.

The adults are attracted to fruits and flowers especially Arum Lilies.

Gold-haired Fruit Chafer (Xeloma tomentosa) Scarabaeidae

Gold-haired Fruit Chafer (Xeloma tomentosa)

 These are smallish beetles and identified by the dense golden hairs and brown and yellow markings.

 Mostly they can be found in the north and north-eastern parts of SA.

 The adults feed on flowers including sunflowers. This one below looks like it was having a snooze. :)

Large Green Fruit Chafer (Dicronorrhina derbyana) Scarabaeidae

Going outside, this Fruit Chafer landed at my feet. Its colors are amazing.
It is about and inch in body length and when it opens its wings to fly, they are a dark blue, almost black.

The underside is almost as pretty as its top side.

Marble Fuit Chafer Beetle Porphyronota hebreae Scarabaeidae

Ted my good friend from Beetles In The Bush was spot on with this one. Congrats!! :)

This is quite a large fellow, about 1 inch in length and I am sure he will have no problem hiding from predators with these colors.
They also belong to the Scarab beetle family and are found in subtropical areas.

Amethyst Fruit Chafer (Leucocelis amethystina) Scarabaeidae

This Chafer was buried in these tiny flowers and did not even blink when I brought the camera near.
They feed on the flowers of different kinds of shrubs.

If you want to catch any, just put out some fruit baits and you will see how quickly they gather there.

They are fairy common in the northern half of South Africa.

Close-up of an Emerald Fruit Chafer (Rhabdotis aulica) Scarabaeidae

This specimen was only about half an inch in length but they do grow a bit bigger than that. I was outside having my coffee when he flew onto my shoulder. I guess he wanted me to take pictures of him too and was not shy about letting me know.

He very obliginly fell over so I could take a picture of his underside too. How kind of him.
The adults feed on flowers and fruits.

Larvae develope in goat and cattle manure. (Yuck!!) :)

Beetle Heart Beetle (Pedinorrhina trivittata) Scarabaeidae

For all you intrepid travelers out there, Jose has posted the most wonderful pictures of his trip to Igauzu Falls in Argentina.

Two perfect hearts. It is a small beetle, about half an inch in length.

  I have heard about people wearing their hearts on their sleeves but never on their backs. :)

Close-up of a Plum Dung Beetle (Anachalcos convexus) Scarabaeidae

The Plum Dung Beetle (Anachalcos convexus) are large and nocturnal feeding off carrion as well as dung.
Males and females jointly roll balls of dung away from the scource, burying them in shallow burrows.

After and egg is laid in the first brood ball, several balls are introduced into the nest.

Females, sometimes accompanied by males, care for the young until they emerge as adults.

Fluffball Chafer (xeloma tomentosa) Scarabaeidae

Also called Gold-haired Fruit Chafer  This is a small beetle being only about a half inch in body length. The adults feed on flowers.