Cyclommatus metallifer

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Cyclommatus metallifer
Cyclommatus metallifer metallifer (Boisduval,1835) male (3772658452).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Lucanidae
Genus: Cyclommatus
Species:
C. metallifer
Binomial name
Cyclommatus metallifer
(Boisduval, 1835)

Cyclommatus metallifer is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. [1] 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. [2] This species is notably easy to maintain, making it a useful species for scientific study. [3] Additionally, it has been kept as an exotic pet.

Contents

Description

C. metallifer exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism, where males are larger than females and have long mandibles. These mandibles are important for sexual selection, and males use them in competition. To compensate for the weakened bite force caused by their long mandibles, males of this species have larger head muscles than females. [4] Because their entire head morphology is specialized for sexual selection, both the head and mandibles can be considered key components of their armaments. Because their bites are so powerful, their mandibles are adapted to resist against bending and torsion. [5] They also have large teeth along their jaws, which are used to improve their grip on rivals.[ citation needed ]

The size of males varies greatly, with certain subspecies ranging from 26 to 100 millimetres in length. [2] The females are subject to much less variation, typically ranging from 22 to 28 millimetres in length.[ citation needed ]

To avoid breaking their jaws when biting, male C. metallifer have a high density of mechanoreceptors on their mandibles. [6] These act as sensors to allow C. metallifer to control the force of their bite, which protects their jaws despite having powerful bite muscles. Mechanoreceptors are especially dense around the tips of the mandibles, where the most stress is present.[ citation needed ]

Distribution and habitat

C. metallifer and all its subspecies are found in Indonesia, primarily on the Maluku Islands and Sulawesi. [7] They prefer a tropical to subtropical environment. They feed on sap, which they obtain by scratching plants with their mandibles. [2] Additionally, they may also gather flowers and fruit.[ citation needed ]

Development

C. metallifer is characterized by large mandibles in the male. Mandible growth is regulated by juvenile hormone, which controls many aspects of insect growth. [8] Exact mandible size varies and is primarily determined by nutrition in the larval stage. There is a relationship between body size and the length of mandibles, which is a heritable trait. [3] While the actual size of the mandibles is more dependent on nutrients, this relationship between body size and mandibles is determined by genetics.[ citation needed ]

C. metallifer has been used in genetic studies to determine the genes involved in its sexual dimorphism. [9] Because the sexual dimorphism in this species is so extreme, it is useful for determining the development of these traits. The doublesex gene regulates the differences between males and females. [10] While juvenile hormone is present in both males and females, doublesex influences the expression of this hormone.[ citation needed ]

Locomotion

The large mandibles in C. metallifer males hinder their ability to move. Their ability to run is reduced, making flight especially important for covering long distances. Males must work harder than females to fly because of the weight of their mandibles. [11] This creates an upper limit on the potential weight of their mandibles. However, variation in both size and shape of mandibles has minimal impact on flight. Mandible size is negatively correlated with wing size, which limits the flying ability of this species. [12] Therefore, their mobility is overall low, which is a significant cost associated with their mandibles.

Reproduction

Cyclommatus metallifer aeneomicans Ssp aenomicans.JPG
Cyclommatus metallifer aeneomicans

Sexual selection

The enlarged mandibles of C. metallifer are important for sexual selection. Although individuals with larger mandibles are more desirable mates and better competitors, having large mandibles has several trade-offs in terms of their stability and locomotion. [13] Males compete for mating opportunities using their mandibles. Both mandible size and bite force are important in fights. Size is a visible trait that is positively correlated with fighting ability, making mandible size an example of honest signalling in this species. [14] Because the development of large mandibles involves numerous investments and trade-offs, there is an upper limit to their size.[ citation needed ]

Competition between males takes the form of several interactions. These include jousting with their mandibles and forcefully biting, concluding with the loser being thrown off the tree and losing access to potential mates. [14] Larger mandibles are advantageous in all of these interactions, and only males that are nearly evenly matched will advance past the early stages of competition.[ citation needed ]

Mating

Males will use mate-guarding behaviour to prevent females from mating with other males. [2] This involves chasing away other males and protecting resources such as sap with territorial fights. [15]

Subspecies

These six subspecies belong to the species Cyclommatus metallifer: [2]

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).

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

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<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>Dorcus curvidens</i> Species of stag beetle

Dorcus curvidens is a species of stag beetle.

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

Lucanus capreolus, the reddish-brown stag beetle or pinching 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 mandibles to deer antlers.

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

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

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<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>Sinodendron rugosum</i> Species of beetle

Sinodendron rugosum is a species of the family Lucanidae, the stag beetles. It is commonly referred to as the rugose stag beetle, and is the only known member of the genus Sinodendron to occur in western North America.

<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>Onthophagus taurus</i> Species of beetle

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<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>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 servandus</i> Species of beetle

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".

<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".

<i>Aegus chelifer</i> Species of beetle

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

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

Figulus is a genus of beetle in the family Lucanidae. They have a paleotropical distribution, including occurrences in Australia.

<i>Gnatocerus cornutus</i> Species of beetle

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References

  1. ↑ "Cyclommatus metallifer". GBIF. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Kim, Euonjoong; Park, Jinyoung; Park, Jong Kyun (2017). "Taxonomic study on the subspecies of Cyclommatus metallifer (Boisduval, 1835) from Indonesia (Coleoptera: Lucanidae)". Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 10 (4): 519–526. doi: 10.1016/j.japb.2017.08.007 .
  3. 1 2 Gotoh, Hiroki; Fukaya, Keiichi; Miura, Toru (2012). "Heritability of male mandible length in the stag beetle Cyclommatus metallifer". Entomological Science. 15 (4): 430–433. doi:10.1111/j.1479-8298.2012.00527.x. hdl: 2115/53417 .
  4. ↑ Goyens, Jana; Dirckx, Joris; Dierick, Manuel; Van Hoorebeke, Luc; Aerts, Peter (2014). "Biomechanical determinants of bite force dimorphism in Cyclommatus metallifer stag beetles". Journal of Experimental Biology. 217 (7): 1065–1071. doi: 10.1242/jeb.091744 .
  5. ↑ Goyens, Jana; Dirckx, Joris; Piessen, Maxim; Aerts, Peter (2016). "Role of stag beetle jaw bending and torsion in grip on rivals". Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 13 (114). doi: 10.1098/rsif.2015.0768 . PMC   4759789 .
  6. ↑ Goyens, J.; Dirckx, J.; Aerts, P. (2015). "Mechanoreceptor distribution in stag beetle jaws corresponds to the material stress in fights". Arthropod Structure and Development. 44 (3): 201–208. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2015.03.003. hdl: 10067/1261230151162165141 .
  7. ↑ Schoolmeesters, P. "Scarabs: World Scarabaeidae Database (version Jan 2016)". Catalogue of Life. ITIS. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  8. ↑ Gotoh, Hiroki; Cornette, Richard; Koshikawa, Shigeyuki; Okada, Yasukazu; Lavine, Laura Corley; Emlen, Douglas J.; Miura, Toru (2011). "Juvenile Hormone Regulates Extreme Mandible Growth in Male Stag Beetles". PLOS ONE. 6 (6). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021139 . PMC   3120829 .
  9. ↑ Gotoh, Hiroki; Zinna, Robert A.; Warren, Ian; DeNieu, Michael; Niimi, Teruyuki; Dworkin, Ian; Emlen, Douglas J.; Miura, Toru; Lavine, Laura C. (2016). "Identification and functional analyses of sex determination genes in the sexually dimorphic stag beetle Cyclommatus metallifer". BMC Genomics. 17: 250. doi: 10.1186/s12864-016-2522-8 . PMC   4802893 .
  10. ↑ Gotoh, Hiroki; Miyakawa, Hitoshi; Ishikawa, Asano; Yuki, Ishikawa; Sugime, Yasuhiro; Emlen, Douglas J.; Lavine, Laura C.; Miura, Toru (2014). "Developmental Link between Sex and Nutrition; doublesex Regulates Sex-Specific Mandible Growth via Juvenile Hormone Signaling in Stag Beetles". PLOS Genetics. 10 (1). doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004098 . PMC   3894178 .
  11. ↑ Goyens, Jana; Van Wassenbergh, Sam; Dirckx, Joris; Aerts, Peter (2015). "Cost of flight and the evolution of stag beetle weaponry". Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 12 (106). doi: 10.1098/rsif.2015.0222 . PMC   4424704 .
  12. ↑ Kawano, Kazuo (1997). "Cost of Evolving Exaggerated Mandibles in Stag Beetles". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 90 (4): 453–461. doi:10.1093/aesa/90.4.453.
  13. ↑ Goyens, Jana; Dirckx, Joris; Aerts, Peter (2014). "Costly sexual dimorphism in Cyclommatus metallifer stag beetles". Functional Ecology. 29 (1): 35–43. doi:10.1111/1365-2435.12294.
  14. 1 2 Mills, Maria R.; Nemri, Rahmi S.; Carlson, Emily A.; Wilde, William; Gotoh, Hiroki; Lavine, Laura C.; Swanson, Brook O. (2015). "Functional mechanics of beetle mandibles: Honest signaling in a sexually selected system". Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A. 325 (1): 3–12. doi: 10.1002/jez.1961 .
  15. ↑ Chen, Zhen-Yi; Hsu, Yuying; Lin, Chung-Ping (2020). "Allometry and Fighting Behaviour of a Dimorphic Stag Beetle Cyclommatus mniszechi (Coleoptera: Lucanidae)". Insects. 11 (2): 81. doi: 10.3390/insects11020081 . PMC   7074643 .

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