Source: Wikimedia Commons
Burmeister's shining stag beetle
IntermediateOdontolabis burmeisteri
A large shining stag beetle from southern India, said to grow the largest of any Odontolabis in captivity; the BE-KUWA captive record is 109.9mm. It lays readily in ordinary rhinoceros-beetle substrate, making it one of the easier species to breed.
Difficulty
Intermediate
Temperature
20〜28℃
Lifespan
Adults a few months (genus accounts); 1-2 years from hatching to pupation
Size
Captive records 109.9mm (male) and 64.7mm (female); wild record 105.0mm (male)
Humidity
60〜80%
Diet
Adults take sap or beetle jelly; larvae eat nitrogen-rich substrate such as rhinoceros-beetle mat
About
Odontolabis burmeisteri (Hope, 1841) is a shining stag beetle of southern India, originally described as Lucanus burmeisteri. GBIF records are concentrated in southern states such as Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is said to grow the largest of any Odontolabis in captivity: the BE-KUWA 2025 edition gives male records of 109.9mm captive and 105.0mm wild and a female captive record of 64.7mm. Odontolabis is centred on the islands of Southeast Asia, but this species lives in southern India. Adults visit fermenting sap and live a few months, and about six weeks after becoming active their tarsi and antennae start to die back. Larvae live in hardwood decayed to half-soil, defend their tunnels and may attack other larvae, and take one to two years from hatching to pupation. Both stages are cold-sensitive. It is one of the easy layers of the genus, giving eggs in commercial rhinoceros-beetle substrate. In Japan captive-bred lines, such as stock from the Nilgiri Hills, are sold by specialist shops.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lifespan of the Burmeister's shining stag beetle
The Burmeister's shining stag beetle lives Adults a few months (genus accounts); 1-2 years from hatching to pupation.
Size of the Burmeister's shining stag beetle
The Burmeister's shining stag beetle grows to Captive records 109.9mm (male) and 64.7mm (female); wild record 105.0mm (male).
Basic Info
Origin
Southern India (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and others)
Lifespan
Adults a few months (genus accounts); 1-2 years from hatching to pupation
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
- Plant Protection Station: Importing Scarabaeoidea (JA)
- Plant Protection Station: Importing live insects (JA)
- Ministry of the Environment: List of invasive alien species (JA)
- Species+ CITES query (no listing)
- BE-KUWA Certified Breeding Records (Mushi-sha, FY2025 edition PDF, JA)
- GBIF: Odontolabis burmeisteri (Hope, 1841) ／地域別の記録
Taxonomy & Authority
Regulations & Conservation Status
Not CITES-listed
Many live foreign Scarabaeoidea (stag beetles, rhinoceros beetles, flower chafers and relatives) are quarantine pests whose import is banned under Japan's Plant Protection Act, and even importable species require a species-name certificate from a foreign government body under the Invasive Alien Species Act (entry only via designated airports, never by international post). Whether a species may enter must be checked with the Plant Protection Station in advance, so choose domestically bred stock and never release captive beetles.
Sources: Plant Protection Station: Importing Scarabaeoidea (JA) / Plant Protection Station: Importing live insects (JA) / Ministry of the Environment: List of invasive alien species (JA) / Species+ CITES query (no listing)
Regulations may change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant authorities.
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