Abstract. The paper deals with the existence of entire solutions for a quasilinear equation (E) λ in R N , depending on a real parameter λ, which involves a general elliptic operator in divergence form A and two main nonlinearities. The competing nonlinear terms combine each other, being the first subcritical and the latter supercritical. We prove the existence of a critical value λ * > 0 with the property that (E) λ admits nontrivial non-negative entire solutions if and only if λ ≥ λ * . Furthermore, when λ > λ ≥ λ * , the existence of a second independent nontrivial non-negative entire solution of (E) λ is proved under a further natural assumption on A.Mathematics Subject Classification (2010). Primary 35J62, 35J70; Secondary 35J20.