Source: Wikimedia Commons
Buddha Saw Stag Beetle
IntermediateProsopocoilus buddha
A saw stag beetle named after the Buddha, ranging from India and Tibet to the Philippines and split into many subspecies. The long slender mandibles of large males earned it the Japanese name of the bow-horned saw stag.
Difficulty
Intermediate
Temperature
20〜24℃
Lifespan
About 8-10 months as adults, the general rule for foreign saw stag beetles
Size
Males 26-63mm (captive record 70.6mm for patricius from Sulawesi)
Humidity
60〜80%
Diet
Beetle jelly (sap and fruit are presumed in the wild); larvae on fermented substrate or fungus bottles
About
Prosopocoilus buddha takes its name from the Buddha and ranges widely from India and Tibet through Indonesia and Sulawesi to the Philippines, divided into several subspecies. Males measure 26-63mm, small to medium for the genus. The body is broad and a glossy reddish brown to black. Variation is extreme: large males have somewhat slender, long, slightly curved mandibles bearing one large tooth near the base, another fairly large tooth just before the middle, and many small teeth besides, giving the impression of a miniature giraffe stag; the slender jaws earned it the Japanese name of the bow-horned saw stag. Small males instead have short knife-shaped mandibles with only fine serrations. Females are smaller and broader, glossier, and never develop enlarged mandibles. Larvae grow in the trunks of rotten wood and the soil nearby and probably take about a year to reach adulthood.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lifespan of the Buddha Saw Stag Beetle
The Buddha Saw Stag Beetle lives About 8-10 months as adults, the general rule for foreign saw stag beetles.
Size of the Buddha Saw Stag Beetle
The Buddha Saw Stag Beetle grows to Males 26-63mm (captive record 70.6mm for patricius from Sulawesi).
Temperature & humidity for the Buddha Saw Stag Beetle
The ideal temperature for the Buddha Saw Stag Beetle is 20〜24℃.
Basic Info
Origin
From India and Tibet through Indonesia and Sulawesi to the Philippines
Care Specifications
AggressiveSolitaryBreeding: Moderate
Sources: Wikipedia (Prosopocoilus buddha, ja) / Tsukiyono Kinokoen: Prosopocoilus giraffa rearing manual (general care for foreign saw stags) / BE-KUWA rearing records (2025 edition, Mushi-sha) / Wikipedia (en)
Breeding Records & Localities
Captive record (♂)
70.6 mm
Wild record (♂)
69 mm
Record source: BE-KUWA 2025 edition (Sulawesi patricius: captive 70.6 mm, Kanazawa Minoru, registered 2009, wild 69.0 mm; north Philippines cavifrons 59.6 mm; Mindanao 59.5 mm; Malaya to Sumatra erberi 58.9 mm; southern Indochina approximatus 54.4 mm; Palawan 53.7 mm; female captive 38.0 mm, Kanazawa Minoru, registered 2010)
Notable localities
SulawesiLuzonMindanaoPalawanMalay PeninsulaSumatraIndochina
Regional subspecies
- Prosopocoilus buddha buddha（Nominate subspecies） — India, Bangladesh, Thailand
- Prosopocoilus buddha approximatus — Tibet and Indochina
- Prosopocoilus buddha annae — Borneo
- Prosopocoilus buddha babuyanensis（Not registered in the GBIF Backbone.） — Philippines (Babuyan Islands)
- Prosopocoilus buddha cavifrons
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)
- Tsukiyono Kinokoen: Prosopocoilus giraffa rearing manual (general care for foreign saw stags)
- BE-KUWA rearing records (2025 edition, Mushi-sha)
- Wikipedia (en)
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Taxonomy & Authority
Accepted name: Prosopocoilus buddha (Hope, 1842)
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.
Buddha Saw Stag Beetle Listings
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