Prosopocoilus giraffa
Prosopocoilus giraffa, the giraffe stag beetle, is the world's largest stag beetle and is part of the order Coleoptera. They are sawtooth beetles with very long, sharp jaws 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, usually to win a mate. They can grow up to 119 millimetres in length. Their body color and their internal tooth is typically determined by what habitat they are living in. They are found in most 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 and is endemic to Southeast Asia.
| Giraffe stag beetle | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Lucanidae |
| Genus: | Prosopocoilus |
| Species: | P. giraffa |
| Binomial name | |
| Prosopocoilus giraffa Olivier, 1789 | |
List of subspecies
- Prosopocoilus giraffa borobudur Mizunuma et Nagai, 1991 (Java)
- Prosopocoilus giraffa daisukei Mizunuma et Nagai, 1991 (Philippines - Negros, Sibuyan Is.)
- Prosopocoilus giraffa keisukei Mizunuma et Nagai, 1991 (Flores Is., Lombok Is.)
- Prosopocoilus giraffa makatai Mizunuma et Nagai, 1991 (Philippines - Mindoro, Luzon)
- Prosopocoilus giraffa nilgiriensis Mizunuma et Nagai, 1991 (S. India)
- Prosopocoilus giraffa nishikawai Mizunuma et Nagai, 1991 (Sangir Is.)
- Prosopocoilus giraffa nishiyamai Mizunuma et Nagai, 1991 (Sulawesi)
- Prosopocoilus giraffa timorensis Mizunuma et Nagai, 1991 (Timor Is.)
External links
Data related to Giraffe stag beetle at Wikispecies
- Giraffe stag beetle photos.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2018). Stag Beetles. Encyclopædia Britannica.