''Hexarthrius parryi'', the fighting giant stag beetle, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

of large

stag beetle Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections ...

s. It belongs to the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

'' Hexarthrius'' of the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...

Lucanini. It is classified under the subfamily

Lucaninae The Lucaninae comprise the largest subfamily of the stag beetles (Lucanidae). Characteristics include partial to complete division of the eyes by a canthus, geniculate antennae, and distinctly separated coxae. The body is typically elongated ...

of the stag beetle

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Lucanidae Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections ...

Subspecies

The species is divided into the following subspecies: *''Hexarthrius parryi deyrollei'' Parry, 1864 (

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

) *''Hexarthrius parryi elongatus'' Jordan, 1894 (Malaysia) *''Hexarthrius parryi paradoxus'' Mollenkamp, 1898 (

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

, Sumatra) *''Hexarthrius parryi parryi'' Hope, 1842 (

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand,

Viet Nam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

)

Description

''Hexarthrius parryi'' can reach a length of about in males, of about in females (length from the tip of the jaw to wing tip). Some individuals of the Sumatra subspecies (''Hexarthrius parryi paradoxus'') can reach a length of about . Body is moderately elongate, not very shining, the basic color is black. Males have long jaws directed downward from the base, with bifurcated tips and a large yellow or bright orange patch occupying the posterior three-quarters of each elytron. The pronolum is short. The lateral angle of the prothorax is very sharp. The head is very broad, quite uneven and rugosely punctured. The mandibles are strongly curved, densely granular, with a sharp tooth directed upwards and another one directed downwards. The front tibia is finely serrated and the middle tibia has a strong lateral spine. The forewing shows a pair of brown spots.

Life cycle

Eggs are laid into rotten wood, sometimes into tunnels made by the females. Larvae feed on rotten wood. They become a pupa in the about 6–9 months. Adults emerge in about one month after pupation. Life of adults last about 6–8 months. They feed on sap and fruits.Beetle Breeding Pages
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Distribution

This species is present in the forests of Southeast Asia, Indonesia and India.

Gallery

Lucanidae - Hexarthrius parryi paradoxus.JPG , ''Hexarthrius parryi paradoxus'' from Sumatra. Museum specimen File:Hex2.JPG, ''Hexarthrius parryi deyrollei'' File:Hexarthrius parryi - Akashi Kaikyo National Park Awaji.jpg, A live individual of ''Hexarthrius parryi'' from the Akashi Kaikyo National Park of Awaji Island

References