The titan stag beetle is one of Asia's biggest and most popular stag beetles, with large males exceeding 4 in (about 11 cm) including their jaws. It is native to East and Southeast Asia and India, and it is not found wild in the US. It is widely kept as a pet in Asia and Europe.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A flat, elongated beetle, black to dark brown. Males have stout, antler-like jaws with a big tooth near the base and a row of small teeth toward the tip. Across all , males measure roughly 1.3–4.5 in (32–115 mm) and females about 0.8–2.2 in (20–55 mm), varying a lot among regions.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Oak woodlands
- Tropical and temperate forests
- Range
- Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, mainland Southeast Asia, and India, from lowlands to mountains.
Behavior
- Diet
- Adults lap sap from trees, especially oaks; larvae feed on rotting wood.
- Activity
- Adults are active mainly at night. In temperate parts of its range, such as Korea and Japan, they are seen mostly in summer.
Life cycle
- Larva
- Females lay eggs in the buried parts of dead or fallen oaks. Eggs hatch in about a month, and the full life cycle takes about 1–2 years.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Long known as Dorcus titanus; a 2013 study moved it to the genus Serrognathus. More than 20 subspecies have been named across its range, many from the islands of Japan.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- It is popular in the pet trade in Asia and Europe, and exporting wild beetles is illegal in some regions.
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