HEXARTHRIUS MANDIBULARIS SUMATRANUS

HEXARTHRIUS MANDIBULARIS
SUMATRANUS

Hexarthrius mandibularis is the world's largest fork-horned stag beetle. It belongs to the tribe Lucanini, in the family Lucanidae. This is the longest Hexarthrius beetle, reaching over 110mm. Its mandibles are very long and have a strong downward curve.

These beetles can be found in Borneo and Sumatra. The tooth on the Borneo beetle's mandible is found closer to the back, but the Sumatra beetle's tooth is located in the middle. The mandibularis pictured above is from Sumatra. They spend 6 to 9 months as a larva and a further 6 to 10 months as an adult.

Hexarthrius stag beetles are found in south-east Asia. The males grow to very large sizes. They are extremely aggressive and violent. Any beetle found in close proximity of it will be fiercely removed with its large mandibles. They should be handled with great care. Many of the Hexarthrius stag beetles have mandibles that split into two directions at the end of each side.

This beetle has a dull, dark, brick reddish body. Both the legs and antennae are blackish. The most notable characteristic are the large, antler-like mandibles. These have small teeth running down the inside edge, with one large, forward-pointing pair located approximately a third of the way down from the tips. The tips are forked inward somewhat.

During the larval stage, Hexarthrius mandibularis lives in rotten hardwood, feeding on it. Later, during the imago stage, it consumes tree juice.