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PROSOPOCOILUS LATERALIS LORQUINII

( STAG BEETLE )

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KINGDOM : Animalia

PHYLUM : Arthropoda

CLASS : Insecta

ORDER : Coleoptera

FAMILY : Lucanidae

GENUS : Prosopocoilus

SPECIES : P. Lateralis

SUBSPECIES : P. L. Lorquinii

PROSOPOCOILUS LATERALIS LORQUINII

Prosopocoilus is a genus of beetles of the family Lucanidae.

Stag beetles is a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies. Some species grow to over 12 centimetres, but most to about 5 cm.

The English name is derived from the large and distinctive mandibles found on the males of most species, which resemble the antlers of stags.

A well-known species in much of Europe is Lucanus cervus, referred to in some European countries as the stag beetle; it is the largest terrestrial insect in Europe. Pliny the Elder noted that Nigidius called the beetle lucanus after the Italian region of Lucania where they were used as amulets. The scientific name of Lucanus cervus adds cervus, deer.

Male stag beetles are known for their over size mandibles used to wrestle each other for favoured mating sites in a way that parallels the way stags fight over females. Fights may also be over food, such as tree sap and decaying fruits. Despite their often fearsome appearance, they are not normally aggressive to humans. During a battle the main objective is to dislodge its opponents tarsal claws with its mandible, thus disrupting their balance. Due to its mandibles capable of exceeding its own body size it does come with a downside. Affecting its movability of running due to its disproportional body, because of this they normally fly to their destination.

Female beetles are smaller at between 30-50mm long, with smaller mandibles. They are often seen on the ground looking for somewhere to lay their eggs.

The larvae feed for several years on rotting wood, growing through three larval stages until eventually pupating inside a pupal cell constructed from surrounding wood pieces and soil particles.

They, along with rhinoceros beetles, are often bought as pets in South Korea and Japan.


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