Aegus chelifer

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Aegus chelifer
Aegus chelifer chelifer MacLeay, 1819 male (3034369651).jpg
A. c. chelifer male
Aegus chelifer chelifer MacLeay, 1819 female (3034370757).jpg
A. c. chelifer female
Scientific classification
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A. chelifer
Binomial name
Aegus chelifer
Macleay, 1819
Synonyms
  • Aegus specularisJakovlev, 1900

Aegus chelifer, is a species of stag beetle found in Indo-Malaya regional countries. [1] [2]

Contents

Distribution

It is a widespread species of stag beetles found extensively throughout Indo-Malayan regions, west of Wallace's line, including: India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, [3] Andaman and Nicobar islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, [4] Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malayan peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. However, the species was recently found from Seychelles and Madagascar as an introduced species. The major cause for this is the dispersal event of large number of floating tree trunks from coastal forests of South East Asia which were carried westward by the South Equatorial Current during 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. [5]

Description

Body length is about 15.0 to 39.5 mm. [6] This species shows great intraspecific variation in their body sizes. [7] Males can be divided into two morphs based on their mandible size as minor and major morphs. [8]

Biology

A saproxylic species, adults and grubs are generally found in deadwood of broadleaf trees, under bark or fallen tree trunks, in forest patches near human settlements and firewood heaps. Male stag beetles usually involve aggressive behavior using their long mandibles to compete with rival males over females. [9] [10] Grubs are almost found within decaying wood or other decomposing substrates, where they feed on materials rich in fungal growth. [11]

Subspecies

Six subspecies have been identified. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stag beetle</span> Family of insects

Stag beetles are 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 (2 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarabaeoidea</span> Superfamily of beetles

Scarabaeoidea is a superfamily of beetles, the only subgroup of the infraorder Scarabaeiformia. Around 35,000 species are placed in this superfamily and some 200 new species are described each year. Its constituent families are also undergoing revision presently, and the family list below is only preliminary. This superfamily includes some of the largest beetles extant today, including rhinoceros beetles, (Dynastinae), the Hercules beetle and Goliath beetles.

In biology, resource holding potential (RHP) is the ability of an animal to win an all-out fight if one were to take place. The term was coined by Geoff Parker to disambiguate physical fighting ability from the motivation to persevere in a fight. Originally the term used was 'resource holding power', but 'resource holding potential' has come to be preferred. The latter emphasis on 'potential' serves as a reminder that the individual with greater RHP does not always prevail.

<i>Prosopocoilus giraffa</i> Species of beetle

Prosopocoilus giraffa, the giraffe stag beetle, is the world's largest stag beetle and is a member of the family Lucanidae within the order Coleoptera. They have very long, toothed and notched mandibles that protrude about half the size of their body. They tend to be aggressive and are fierce and powerful. Males fight each other using these strong and enlarged jaws to lift and throw rivals to win a mate. They can grow up to 119 millimetres in length. Several distinctive populations (subspecies) are found in moist forested region areas of Asia, ranging from India to Indonesia. Prosopocoilus giraffa keisukei can measure up to 12 centimeters. Prosopocoilus giraffa daisukei have the brightest elytra of all subspecies and Prosopocoilus giraffa giraffa is the smallest subspecies.

<i>Lucanus cervus</i> Species of beetle

Lucanus cervus, known as the European stag beetle, or the greater stag beetle, is one of the best-known species of stag beetle in Western Europe, and is the eponymous example of the genus. L. cervus is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List.

<i>Odontolabis cuvera</i> Species of beetle

Odontolabis cuvera, the golden stag beetle, is a beetle of the family Lucanidae, stag beetles.

<i>Phalacrognathus muelleri</i> Species of beetle

Phalacrognathus muelleri, colloquially known as the rainbow stag beetle, and also the king, magnificent or Mueller's stag beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is found in northern Queensland, Australia and New Guinea. It can come in red, green, black, and blue forms. It is the only species in its genus, Phalacrognathus, which is closely related to the genus Lamprima.

<i>Chiasognathus grantii</i> Species of beetle

Chiasognathus grantii is a species of stag beetle found in Argentina and Chile. It is known as Darwin's beetle, Grant's stag beetle, or the Chilean stag beetle.

<i>Cyclommatus metallifer</i> Species of beetle

Cyclommatus metallifer is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. There is sexual dimorphism within the species. Males are generally larger in size and have enlarged mandibles. It is named for its metallic coloration, which ranges in color and may be varying levels of black, brown, or gold. This species is notably easy to maintain, making it a useful species for scientific study. Additionally, it has been kept as an exotic pet.

<i>Cyclommatus</i> Genus of beetles

Cyclommatus is a genus of the family Lucanidae, also known as the stag beetle. The majority of the species from the genus Cyclommatus are located in Southeast Asia, though some species are found in China and Taiwan as well. The genus Cyclommatus also consists of three subgenera: Cyclommatus, Cyclommatinus and Cyclommatellus. Each subgenera contains 80, 24 and 3 species respectively. In total, the genus Cyclommatus consists of a total of 134 species, though more are still being discovered to this day.

<i>Lamprima aurata</i> Species of beetle

Lamprima aurata, the golden stag beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Lucanidae. In Tasmania, this species is referred to by the "common name" of Christmas beetle, a name that is normally used for beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, genus Anoplognathus.

<i>Paralissotes reticulatus</i> Species of beetle

Paralissotes reticulatus, also called the New Zealand reticulate stag beetle, is a native species of stag beetle from New Zealand. Although they do have wings they are flightless.

<i>Geodorcus helmsi</i> Species of beetle

Geodorcus helmsi,New Zealand giant stag beetle or Helms's stag beetle is a large, slow-moving, flightless stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is endemic to New Zealand.

<i>Dorcus rectus</i> Species of beetle

Dorcus rectus, the little stag beetle, is a species of beetles in the family Lucanidae. It can be found in China(Liaoning), Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Russia. These beetles have a distinctive red shell that separates them from Dorcus curvidens. Males of this species have been observed to have mandible trimorphism, a characteristic that has only been described in two species of Lucanidae—with the other one being Odontolabis cuvera—"and a small number of other invertebrates" as of 2017. The mandibles are used by males as weapons.

<i>Geodorcus alsobius</i> Species of beetle

Geodorcus alsobius, or Moehau stag beetle, is a large flightless species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is found only on Mt Moehau, the highest mountain in the Moehau Range on the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand.

<i>Geodorcus novaezealandiae</i> Species of beetle

Geodorcus novaezealandiae is a large flightless species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is the type species and smallest member of the genus Geodorcus. It is endemic to New Zealand.

<i>Geodorcus sororum</i> Species of beetle

Geodorcus sororum is a large flightless species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It was discovered in 1973 by Mr. A. Wright on an expedition to Middle Sister Island/Te Awanui, one of The Sisters Islands/Rangitatahi which are part of the Chatham Islands in New Zealand. This holotype specimen is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. It was first described by Beverley Holloway in 2007. The name sororum is translated from Latin to mean "belonging to the sisters".

Lucanus datunensis is a species of stag beetle endemic to the Tatun Mountain of Taiwan's Yangmingshan.It is first discovered in 1984. It is the smallest stag beetle in Taiwan and is an endangered species threatened by recent human activity.

Dinonigidius bartolozzii, is a species of stag beetle endemic to Sri Lanka.

<i>Aegus</i> (beetle) Genus of beetles

Aegus is a genus of stag beetles in the family Lucanidae. Comprising about 260 species in the genus, they are placed in the largest subfamily Lucaninae. They are distributed in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific countries, but introduced accidentally to many parts of the islands.

References

  1. Nut Songvorawit, Chulalongkorn University; Buntika Areekul Butcher, Chulalongkorn University; Chatchawan Chaisuekul, Chulalongkorn University (2018). "Captive breeding reveals larval performance and adult body size differences between two geographical populations of the stag beetle Aegus chelifer chelifer (Coleoptera: Lucanidae)". Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  2. Leung, Tsz Kin Calvin; Bonebrake, Timothy C. (2021). "Abundance, distribution and substrate association of Hong Kong stag beetles (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) in secondary forests". Insect Conservation and Diversity. 14 (5): 609–619. doi:10.1111/icad.12492. S2CID   233713215 . Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  3. "The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora". Ministry of Environment in Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  4. Seow-En, Isaac; Khoo, James Hian Ze (2021). "Biodiversity Record: The stag beetle, Aegus chelifer, at the Sungei Tengah area" (PDF). Nature in Singapore. 14: 12. doi:10.26107/NIS-2021-0041 . Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  5. "Aegus chelifer Macleay 1819, an Asian stag beetle (Coleoptera Lucanidae) invading the Seychelles Islands: a threat for endemic saproxylic species?". Tropical Zoology 23(2):173-180. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  6. "Aegus chelifer". www.kaefer-der-welt.de. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  7. Songvorawit, Nut; Butcher, Buntika Areekul; Chaisuekul, Chatchawan (2018-06-01). "Captive breeding reveals larval performance and adult body size differences between two geographical populations of the stag beetle Aegus chelifer chelifer (Coleoptera: Lucanidae)". Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. 21 (2): 708–715. doi: 10.1016/j.aspen.2018.04.001 . S2CID   90949472.
  8. Songvorawit, Nut; Butcher, Buntika Areekul; Chaisuekul, Chatchawan (2017-09-01). "Different allometric intercepts in major Aegus chelifer chelifer stag beetle males from urban and forest habitats". Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. 20 (3): 835–839. doi: 10.1016/j.aspen.2017.05.011 . Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  9. Songvorawit, Nut; Butcher, Buntika Areekul; Chaisuekul, Chatchawan (2018-07-01). "Resource Holding Potential and the Outcome of Aggressive Interactions between Paired Male Aegus chelifer chelifer (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) Stag Beetles". Journal of Insect Behavior. 31 (4): 347–360. doi:10.1007/s10905-018-9683-z. S2CID   254693037 . Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  10. Songvorawit, Nut; Butcher, Buntika Areekul; Chaisuekul, Chatchawan (2019-12-01). "Size Does Not Matter: Same-Sex Sexual Behavior Occurred Regardless of Mandible Size in Male Stag Beetle Aegus chelifer chelifer (Coleoptera: Lucanidae)". Journal of Insect Behavior. 32 (4–6): 282–289. doi:10.1007/s10905-019-09733-w. S2CID   208060528 . Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  11. Huang, Ta-I (2018). "Diversity and Ecology of Stag Beetles (Lucanidae)". In Ulyshen, Michael D. (ed.). Saproxylic Insects. Zoological Monographs. Vol. 1. Springer International Publishing. pp. 149–165. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-75937-1_4. ISBN   978-3-319-75936-4 . Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  12. "Aegus chelifer Macleay, 1819". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2021-07-29.