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 (Parry, 1863), Cyclommatinus (Didier, 1927) and Cyclommatellus (Nagel, 1936). 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.
The chief distinguishing characteristics of this genus are its impressive mandibles, which can sometimes be as long as its body, as well as its lustrous metallic exoskeleton, which can range from red, brown, green, purple, gold and a rarer blue-black. As such, beetles from the genus Cyclommatus can command a high price from collectors, with a demand for both live and dried specimens.
The largest species from this genus is Cyclommatus elaphus, with the largest recorded wild collected specimen being 109.0mm[6] (4.29in) in length measured from the tip of the mandibles to the end of the elytra.
Different sources place the genus Cyclommatus under the tribe Cladognathini (Parry, 1870),[7] or Cyclommatini (Maes, 1992).[8]
Evolution
The family Lucanidae is a monophyletic group in which it evolved from a unique ancestor or group of ancestors. Using the BEAST software, which stands for Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis Sampling Trees to model the genetic divergence in Lucanidae, the genus Cyclommatus is thought to have diverged around 50-20 million years ago, with the average being 33.2 million years ago. The temporal range given above is with a 95% highest posterior density (HPD) confidence interval.[9]
Distribution
Cyclommatus is found in many parts of the world, including:
Male beetles of genus Cyclommatus are generally larger than females of the same species, and exhibit brighter and lustrous exoskeletons compared to females. Some species of this genus are also colour polymorphic[11] and as such exhibit a wide variety of different colours within the same species, which can range from red, brown, green, purple, gold and a rarer blue-black.
Males of a larger size, or major males, relative to their respective species in this genus exhibit enlarged mandibles. These enlarged mandibles are used for scratching the surfaces of bark to allow the beetle to feed on tree sap, or to compete with other males for mates. Males with larger mandibles are more likely to win these fights, which often involves throwing the competitor off of branches and leaves.
Due to their smaller mandibles and need to chew through decaying wood to lay eggs, female beetles of this genus were thought to have a greater biting force. However, the biting force of the males can in fact exceed the biting force of the females, for example, the biting force of Cyclommatus metallifer males was found to be 3 times that of females.[12]
Life cycle
The life cycle of beetles in genus Cyclommatus share many characteristics of that of other stag beetles, starting with an egg, three larval stages, pupation and finally eclosion.
After mating, female beetles use their smaller mandibles better adapted to cutting wood to create tunnels within decaying logs in which eggs are laid. The beetle larva once hatched from its egg, experiences three larval stages: the first, second and third instar. The transition between each of the instars requires the larva to moult, as each larva of each successive instar has a larger chitin head. For members of genus Cyclommatus, the larval stage can last a few months to up to one and a half to two years for large individuals. During this time, larva mainly subsist on decaying logs.
Once the larva have received adequate nutrition, the larva then creates a pupal chamber in which it lies in a pre-pupal state with limited mobility, creating its pupa beneath its larval skin. On completing its pupa, the larva then sheds its skin and fills the entirety of the pupa with hemolymph. When the pupa is filled, the soft white pupa gradually darkens to a brown colour and hardens.
As the beetle inside the pupa matures, the beetle within becomes more prominent, for example, the eyes of the beetle may be seen through the pupal walls. When this occurs, the beetle will usually eclose a few days later.
As adults, beetles of genus Cyclommatus generally subsist on tree sap, and typically do not have a lifespan of any longer than one year.
Pet trade
Large specimens of these genus can command high prices upwards of $700 USD due to the lustrous metallic bodies that the beetles possess. Collectors buy both live and dried specimens, with many of the live specimens being exported to countries such as Japan and Taiwan, which has a large market for keeping beetles as exotic pets.[13] Popular beetle species from this genus include: Cyclommatus elaphus, Cyclommatus metallifer, Cyclommatus monguilloni and Cyclommatus imperator.
When kept in captivity, beetles of this genus can consume mangos, bananas and a variety of fruits in addition to purpose beetle jellies as adults, whilst beetle breeders in Japan have experimented with many foods for the larva, such as fermented wood, decaying logs and sawdust inoculated with mycelium. This is done in order to maximise the growth during the larval period, as all growth occurs during the larval period and thus the adult size is dependent on the availability of nutrients to the larva.
The most suitable type of food for beetle larva of this genus differs between species, but beetle larva of this genus generally subsist on white rotten wood from different species of tree or flake soil, much like other beetle larva of 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 (2 in).
Dorcus is a genus of beetles in the family Lucanidae. Of the 30-odd species, most occur in Asia and India; two are found in southern Europe, and two species are from North America. Previously, specimens with serriform teeth on the mandibles and sable pigment were called Serrognathus whereas specimens with but a singular or multiple bulky notches on the mandibles and lustrous sable pigmentation were called Dorcus. Serrognathus was recently reclassified and merged into the genus Dorcus.
Lucanus cervus, the European 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.
Lucanus is a genus of stag beetles (Lucanidae).
Dorcus titanus is a beetle of the family Lucanidae. It was described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1835. Huang and Chen (2013) separated Serognathus from Dorcus by representing morphological characters and DNA analysis.
Lucanus capreolus, the reddish-brown stag beetle, is a beetle of the family Lucanidae. The specific name capreolus is derived from Latin, meaning "roe deer". The name refers to the resemblance of the antennae to deer antlers.
Odontolabis cuvera, the Golden Stag Beetle, is a beetle of the Family Lucanidae, stag beetles.
The Lucanidae are a family of beetles that include the stag beetles. The family can be further subdivided in a taxonomy. The classification presented here follows Smith (2006), with the exception of the tribal classification within the Lucaninae.
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.
Hexarthrius parryi, the fighting giant stag beetle, is a species of large stag beetles. It belongs to the genus Hexarthrius of the tribe Lucanini. It is classified under the subfamily Lucaninae of the stag beetle family Lucanidae.
Hexarthrius is a genus of large stag beetles. They are also known as fork horned stag beetles for the shape for their mandibles It includes the following species:
The golden stag beetle is a species of beetles in the family Lucanidae. It measures between 15 and 25 mm in length and is relatively common throughout Australia, and fairly variable in coloration, so has been given many names by various authors. 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. Females are smaller than the males, and males have the mandibles enlarged and prolonged forwards. The colour of the males is typically metallic golden green or golden yellow, while females may be blue, blue-green or also dull brown. These beetles are sapro-xylophagous, feeding only on dead wood, mainly Eucalyptus species (Myrtaceae) or Acacia.
Prosopocoilus is a genus of beetles of the family Lucanidae.
Cyclommatus canaliculatus is a species of beetles belonging to the family Lucanidae.
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.
Geodorcus helmsi or Helms's stag beetle is a large, slow-moving, flightless stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is endemic to New Zealand.
Cyclommatus elaphus is a species of the genus Cyclommatus from Indonesia. It is also the largest species of the genus Cyclommatus and can grow up to a maximum of 109 mm from the tip of the mandibles to the end of the abdomen.
Geodorcus servandus is a large flightless species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It was discovered by P.R. Kettle in December 1960 and this holotype specimen is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. It was first described by Beverley Holloway in 2007. Its type location is Mount Tuhua summit, near Lake Kaniere on the West Coast of New Zealand. The name servandus is a Latin word meaning "[something] to be preserved, conserved, looked after".
Aegus chelifer, is a species of stag beetle found in Indo-Malaya regional countries.
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
↑ Parry, F. J. Sidney (1863-02-01). "XXXIV. A few Remarks upon Mr. James Thomson s Catalogue of Lucanidæ, published in the "Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, 1862."". Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London. 11 (5): 442–452. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.1863.tb01291.x. ISSN1365-2311.
↑ Jules-Sébastien-César, Dumont d'Urville (1835-01-01). "Voyage de la corvette l'Astrolabe". Entomologie pt.2 (1835). J. Tastu.Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
↑ Kim, Sang Il; Farrell, Brian D. (2015-05-01). "Phylogeny of world stag beetles (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) reveals a Gondwanan origin of Darwin's stag beetle". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 86: 35–48. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2015.02.015. PMID25732069.
↑ Gotoh, Hiroki; Lavine, Laura C. (2014-06-01). "Genetic Control of Color Polymorphism in the Stag Beetle Cyclommatus metallifer Boisduval (Coleoptera: Lucanidae)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. 68 (2): 209–213. doi:10.1649/0010-065X-68.2.209. ISSN0010-065X. S2CID85987050.
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