Source: Wikimedia Commons
Alces Shining Stag Beetle
IntermediateOdontolabis alces
A large Philippine Odontolabis with an all-black male. The body is thick and heavy, putting it among the largest stag beetles anywhere, not just in its genus. The long-toothed form appears only in big individuals.
Difficulty
Intermediate
Temperature
20〜28℃
Lifespan
6-10 months as an adult
Size
Males 39.8-104.3mm, females 44.6-54.7mm (captive record 102.3mm)
Humidity
60〜80%
Diet
Adults take sap of oaks and large herbs plus beetle jelly; larvae eat humus close to soil
About
Odontolabis alces lives on Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro, Marinduque and Catanduanes in the Philippines, males running 39.8 to 104.3 mm and females 44.6 to 54.7 mm. The body is thick and heavy throughout, and the beetle ranks among the largest stag beetles anywhere rather than merely in its own genus. The male's mandibles range from short through intermediate to long-toothed, but the long-toothed form appears only in beetles above about 85 mm. In that form the teeth sit only near the tip of the long, strongly curved mandible, with none at all along the middle or base, which is one of the marks of the species. Where the related O. dalmanni intermedia carries a lacquered sheen, this beetle has no gloss to its surface. It lives in montane rainforest at about 800 to 1,500 m, where the adults gather at the sap of oaks and large herbs. It leans towards being nocturnal and comes to lights. The larvae are found in well-rotted, almost soil-like humus derived from oak, Castanopsis and lauan, and about two years pass between hatching and pupation.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lifespan of the Alces Shining Stag Beetle
The Alces Shining Stag Beetle lives 6-10 months as an adult.
Size of the Alces Shining Stag Beetle
The Alces Shining Stag Beetle grows to Males 39.8-104.3mm, females 44.6-54.7mm (captive record 102.3mm).
Basic Info
Origin
The Philippines (Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro, Marinduque and Catanduanes)
Lifespan
6-10 months as an adult
Care Specifications
AggressiveSolitaryBreeding: Moderate
Sources: Odontolabis alces - Wikipedia (JA; size, range, mandible forms, habits, lifespan, larval period, husbandry, import status) / Odontolabis - Wikipedia (JA; range, biology, the three mandible forms, humus-feeding larvae, per-species difficulty of egg-laying) / GBIF species page for Odontolabis alces (Fabricius, 1775) / BE-KUWA Certified Breeding Records (Mushi-sha, FY2025 edition PDF, JA)
Breeding Records & Localities
Captive record (♂)
102.3 mm
Wild record (♂)
104.3 mm
Record source: BE-KUWA 2025 edition, captive records for imported stag beetles (alces: captive 102.3 mm, comrade, registered 2018; wild 104.3 mm; expected maximum 110 mm)
Notable localities
LuzonMindanaoMindoroMarinduqueCatanduanes
Generation codes
- WD
- Wild-caught
- WF1
- Offspring of a wild-caught female
- F1〜
- Captive generations (same locality)
- CBF1
- Cross-locality captive-bred (reset)
Sources: BE-KUWA Certified Breeding Records (Mushi-sha, FY2025 edition PDF, JA) / Odontolabis alces - Wikipedia (JA; size, range, mandible forms, habits, lifespan, larval period, husbandry, import status)
References & Sources
Edited & verified by: BreederDirect editorial team
The taxonomic, regulatory, and husbandry data on this page are compiled and verified against the authoritative primary sources below.
Primary sources
- Wikipedia
- Ministry of the Environment, Invasive Species Act: "Guidance for Those Importing Live Insects in Scarabaeoidea"
- CITES Appendix (checklist.cites.org)
- Odontolabis - Wikipedia (JA; range, biology, the three mandible forms, humus-feeding larvae, per-species difficulty of egg-laying)
- GBIF species page for Odontolabis alces (Fabricius, 1775)
- BE-KUWA Certified Breeding Records (Mushi-sha, FY2025 edition PDF, JA)
Taxonomy & Authority
Accepted name: Odontolabis alces (Fabricius, 1775)
Authority databases: GBIF
Nomenclature follows global taxonomic authority databases.
Regulations & Conservation Status
Not CITES-listed
Plant Protection Act: When importing live specimens of Scarabaeoidea (including rhinoceros beetles, stag beetles, flower beetles, etc.), a species identification certificate issued by the exporting country government agency or equivalent must be attached in accordance with the Invasive Species Act (import ports are limited to Narita, Chubu, Kansai, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima airports). This species itself is not a designated invasive species, and import is possible upon submission of the certificate.
Sources: Ministry of the Environment, Invasive Species Act: "Guidance for Those Importing Live Insects in Scarabaeoidea" / CITES Appendix (checklist.cites.org)
Regulations may change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant authorities.
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