Dorcus Beetles
Dorcus stag beetles are very popular with beetle breeders and collectors because they are large and have strong mandibles. They also live quite long for a beetle, with many living for around two to three years. They all have similar wide, flat bodies that are jet black in color.
Dorcus Metacostatus
These stag beetles are known as "sujibutohiratakuwagata" in Japanese. They are found on Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima in the very south of Japan. They got their Japanese name because you can see lines going down their body. The males can grow up to 70mm long. These beetles can live for up to 2 years. The male is a very aggressive beetle. It will grab onto anything that comes near it. You can see in the photo above that they are very strong. Once they grab onto something, they will hold onto it for extended periods of time before releasing it. The tooth from the male's mandibles left big holes on the pencil.
Dorcus Alcides
These large beetles live in Sumatra, Indonesia. There are two types. One type has long mandibles, while the other type has shorter mandibles. The male above is of the short mandible type. The male adults can grow to be over 90mm long. They are very violent stag beetles and can use their strong mandibles to break open other beetles. They can spend 4 to 15 months as a larva and a further 10 to 15 months as an adult.
Dorcus Bucephalus
The male beetle has short mandibles that have a large curve in them that slightly point down. It has a wide, black body. The males are very strong and they are a very violent beetle. They can only be found on Java, Indonesia. They hide on the trunks of trees and under bark. They can be found all year round, but especially in the rainy season from the end of December to February. They spend 5 to 12 months as a larva and a further 12 to 15 months as an adult.
Dorcus Parryi
These beetles live in a variety of different places in south-east Asia. The mandibles of the males are slightly different, depending on where it lives. The male above was originally from Argopuro in Java. They spend 4 to 12 months as a larva and a further 12 to 15 months as an adult. The males can grow to be 79mm long, while the females can grow to 42mm long.