Phalacrognathus muelleri | |
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Phalacrognathus muelleri, male (left) and female | |
Scientific classification | |
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Genus: | Phalacrognathus |
Species: | P. muelleri |
Binomial name | |
Phalacrognathus muelleri Macleay, 1885 | |
Phalacrognathus muelleri, colloquially known as the rainbow stag beetle, and also the king, magnificent or Mueller's stag beetle, [1] [2] [3] 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 .
Phalacrognathus muelleri has been the official symbol of the Entomological Society of Queensland since 1973. [3] [4]
In 1885 the species was named Phalacrognathus muelleri by Sir William Macleay in honour of Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, the Victorian Government Botanist. [3] The genus Phalacrognathus created at the same time.
Males of Phalacrognathus muelleri are the largest members of the family Lucanidae in Australia. Males range from 24 to 70 mm (0.94 to 2.76 in) in length, whereas the smaller females range from 23 to 46 mm (0.91 to 1.81 in). [1] their beautiful colours fade after death and are difficult to photograph.
This species breeds in wet tropical areas. Up to 50 eggs can be laid by a female and these will take 10 to 14 days to hatch. The larva can be seen in the egg before emerging. The larvae are found in wet and rotting wood often in close proximity to white rot fungi [3] and can take up to three years to mature.
Examples of fungi found proximate to breeding sites are: Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Patouillard, Nigrofomes melanoporus (Mont.) Murr., Phellinus nr. glaucescens (Petch) Ryvarden; Phellinus robustus (P. Karst) Baird, & Galz., Phellinus - 3 spp., and Pycnoporus sp. [3]
The species is divided into the following two subspecies:
Trogidae, sometimes called hide beetles, is a family of beetles with a distinctive warty or bumpy appearance. Found worldwide, the family includes about 300 species contained in four or five genera.
Phanaeus vindex, the rainbow scarab, is a North American species of true dung beetle in the family Scarabaeidae. It is found in eastern and central United States and in adjacent far northern Mexico. It is the most widespread species of Phanaeus in the United States and it has a wide habitat tolerance. It may hybridize with the generally less common P. difformis.
The term mycangium is used in biology for special structures on the body of an animal that are adapted for the transport of symbiotic fungi. This is seen in many xylophagous insects, which apparently derive much of their nutrition from the digestion of various fungi that are growing amidst the wood fibers. In some cases, as in ambrosia beetles, the fungi are the sole food, and the excavations in the wood are simply to make a suitable microenvironment for the fungus to grow. In other cases, wood tissue is the main food, and fungi weaken the defense response from the host plant.
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.
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 mandibles to deer antlers.
Odontolabis cuvera, the golden stag beetle, is a beetle of the family Lucanidae, stag beetles.
Ryssonotus nebulosus is a beetle of the family Lucanidae, and the sole member of the genus Ryssonotus. It is found in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia.
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 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.
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.
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.
Phanaeus, the rainbow scarabs, is a genus of true dung beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, ranging from the United States to northern Argentina, with the highest species richness in Mexico. Depending on species, they can inhabit a wide range of habitats, from tropical to temperate climates and deserts to rainforests. In those living in relatively arid places adults are primarily active during the wet season and those living in relatively cold places are primarily active during the summer. They are excellent diggers and good fliers.
Ambassis macleayi, commonly known as Macleay's glassfish, Macleay's glass perchlet, Macleay's perchlet, reticulated glassfish, reticulated perchlet, or network perchlet, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Ambassidae. It is native to northern Australia and the trans-Fly River region of New Guinea. It is a fish with a vertically flat, narrow body and a standard length generally between 35 and 45 mm, with large specimens reaching 77 mm (3.0 in) long. It generally eats water fleas and other small invertebrates. This fish is considered to be a least-concern species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), although it could suffer from habitat degradation due to feral pigs and invasive water plants such as the water hyacinth. The fish is suitable for aquarium use in tanks containing other non-aggressive species.
Safrina is a genus of stag beetles that are endemic to Australia.
Geodorcus capito is a large flightless species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is endemic to the Chatham Islands in New Zealand.
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.
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.
Pseudoferania is a genus of snake in the family Homalopsidae. The genus is monotypic, containing the sole species Pseudoferania polylepis. The snake is found in Australia and New Guinea.
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.
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