- · Grid units represent actual meters (m); human and animals are drawn to the exact same scale with original silhouette aspect ratios preserved.
- · When a size range is recorded (e.g. 1–1.6m), the lower bound is used for scale comparison.
- · Hermit beetle silhouette: PhyloPic — Edwin Price · CC BY 4.0 (Hylamorpha elegans)
- · Human silhouette: PhyloPic — NASA · Public Domain Mark 1.0
Hermit beetle
Osmoderma caeleste (Hermit beetle · Hermit beetle)
Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List yet.
🇰🇷 Class II endangered wildlife (Korea)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 A body length of 27–28 mm is almost equal to the diameter of a Korean 500-won coin (26.5 mm) (Comparison).
- 💡 A distinguishing feature of this beetle is that it emits a musky odor when held. Even if you encounter one in the mountains, it is best not to catch it, as small population numbers and illegal collecting are cited as reasons for its decline.
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The hermit beetle is a scarab beetle living in broad-leaved forests of mountainous Gangwon-do, shining with a purplish luster. With small population numbers, it is a Class II endangered wildlife species in Korea.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Its body is blackish brown or reddish brown with a purplish sheen, a flat head, and a broad body. Males have two strong vertical ridges in the front center of the pronotum.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
Adults are mainly active in July–August, feed on plant sap, and give off a musky scent when held in the hand. Larvae are said to feed on humus in rotten wood or inside dead conifers, though their ecology is not yet fully known.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
It is a Class II endangered wildlife species (Korea). It lives around Yangyang, Inje, Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Hongcheon, Seoraksan, and Sogeumgang in Gangwon-do, but its population size is small.
📚 Sources & References
- • 멸종위기 야생생물 Ⅱ급 — 국가생물종목록(국립생물자원관) ktsn 120000213112 — https://species.nibr.go.kr/home/mainHome.do?cont_link=009&subMenu=009002&contCd=009002&ktsn=120000213112
- • IUCN Red List: not evaluated (NE) — cross-checked with the Wikidata conservation-status entry
- • Korean protection status: Class II endangered wildlife (Korea)
- • catalogueoflife.org — 6TB3H
- • 국가생물종목록(국립생물자원관) ktsn 120000213112 — https://species.nibr.go.kr/home/mainHome.do?cont_link=009&subMenu=009002&contCd=009002&ktsn=120000213112
- • wikidata.org — Q14875892
- • nie.re.kr — view.do
- • bok.or.kr — contents.do
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Edwin Price · CC BY 4.0 (Related taxon silhouette — Hylamorpha elegans)
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.