A rare rhinoceros beetle with five horns like a crown was found by baffled locals in a forest in Thailand.

The bizarre insect with multiple protrusions growing out of its head was discovered by villager Udon Wonglakorn, 45, while he was working at a field in Phayao province on September 22.

He said that while taking a break near some bamboo thickets, he spotted the gleaming 10-cm brown beetle perched on a bamboo trunk. But unlike the other beetles he had seen before, this one was crowned with a ring of horns.

He said: 'I usually see these beetles during the rainy season until the beginning of the cold season, but they have become increasingly harder to find. One with five horns is even more rare, so I plan to keep it as a pet.'

Rhinoceros beetles, known for their distinctive horn-like structures on their heads, are among the largest beetles found on Earth. These horns, which are only found on male beetles, are used to fight over feeding territory and potential mates.