Prosopocoilus Stag Beetles

​In Japanese, these beetles are called "Nokogirikuwagata." The direct English translation of this is "saw tooth stag beetle." If you look at their mandibles it is very easy to see how they got their name. Some of the largest stag beetles are Prosopocoilus stag beetles, which also makes them very popular. 

Prosopocoilus Giraffa

These are the longest stag beetles in the world. The males can grow up to 120mm long. Their mandibles are long and are lined with sharp teeth. The mandibles finish with a curve. They are found in many places in south and south-east Asia. They are mostly found in tropical rainforests located in the mountains between 500 to 1000 meters above sea-level. They gather together in tall trees. They spend 7 to 14 months as a larva and a further 12 to 15 months as an adult.

The male's mandibles are quite strong. The teeth on them can pierce sticks. They can hold fairly heavy objects, like the stick pictured above.

The size of the beetle determines the look of its mandibles. The beetle above is 103 mm. You can see that this male has a large saw tooth on each side of the mandible halfway down.

The giraffa above is only 75 mm long. You can see that since it is such a small beetle as a giraffa, its mandibles are not as brilliant as the larger giraffa to the left. It is missing the large saw tooth.

Like all beetles, the Prosopocoilus giraffa larvae go through three stages. This is the first instar.

A few weeks later, it molts its skin and becomes a second instar larva.

The third instar larvae are quite large. They should be kept in individual medium-sized containers. Their jaws are quite strong, so avoid being nipped on the fingers.

The larva will build a pupa chamber and turn into a pupa. It will stay as a pupa for about 1 month, before becoming an adult. The adult will remain in its pupa chamber for a couple of months before emerging by itself.

Prosopocoilus Astacoides

These beetles live in many places in south-east and south Asia. It is popular with collectors because of its vivid red color. Males can grow as large as 90mm long, but are generally about 65mm long. They are not so difficult to look after. To breed them is a little more challenging, but the female can lay lots of eggs. They spend 5 to 10 months as a larva and a further 5 to 10 months as an adult.

Prosopocoilus Inclinatus

These beetles are found around Japan. They are often reddish in color, but they can also be black. The size of the mandibles depends on the size of the beetle. The large males can reach 80mm long and have long, curved mandibles lined with many teeth. They mainly move around at night,  but they can also be seen during the day if the temperatures are not too high. They only live for around 4 months.