Source: Wikimedia Commons
Castelnaud's Shining Stag Beetle
AdvancedOdontolabis castelnaudi
A large Odontolabis ranging from the Malay Peninsula through Sumatra to Borneo, with separate subspecies around Sumatra. It is described as very hard to keep, though it is reported to lay sometimes into black-soil substrate.
Difficulty
Advanced
Temperature
20〜28℃
Lifespan
A few months as an adult
Size
Captive record 85.3mm, wild record 95.0mm
Humidity
60〜80%
Diet
Adults take fermented sap of broadleaf trees and beetle jelly; larvae eat humus close to soil
About
Odontolabis castelnaudi is a large Odontolabis ranging from the Malay Peninsula through Sumatra to Borneo, with the subspecies inomatai and mentawaiensis around Sumatra. A maximum of 94 mm and a captive maximum of 84.8 mm were once cited, but the BE-KUWA 2025 edition has since raised those to a captive record of 85.3 mm and a wild record of 95.0 mm. As throughout the genus the male's mandibles fall into short, intermediate and long-toothed forms. The larvae live in humus formed where broadleaf wood has rotted down close to soil, hollowing out a jar-shaped chamber that they hold as territory, attacking and sometimes eating insects of their own and other species that enter. The species is described as one of the hardest of the genus to keep, in contrast to O. burmeisteri and O. dalmanni which lay readily in shop-bought substrate, though it is reported to lay sometimes into black-soil substrate. Neither adults nor larvae tolerate cold well.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Size of the Castelnaud's Shining Stag Beetle
The Castelnaud's Shining Stag Beetle grows to Captive record 85.3mm, wild record 95.0mm.
Basic Info
Origin
The Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo (the subspecies inomatai and mentawaiensis around Sumatra)
Lifespan
A few months as an adult
Size
Captive record 85.3mm, wild record 95.0mm
Temperature
20〜28℃
Care Specifications
AggressiveSolitaryBreeding: Very hard
Sources: Odontolabis - Wikipedia (JA; range, biology, the three mandible forms, humus-feeding larvae, per-species difficulty of egg-laying) / Odontolabis - Wikipedia (EN; genus description and per-species distributions) / GBIF species page for Odontolabis castelnaudi Parry, 1862 / BE-KUWA Certified Breeding Records (Mushi-sha, FY2025 edition PDF, JA)
Breeding Records & Localities
Captive record (♂)
85.3 mm
Wild record (♂)
95 mm
Record source: BE-KUWA 2025 edition, captive records for imported stag beetles (castelnaudi nominate: captive 85.3 mm, Yukiya Komura, registered 2023; wild 95.0 mm; expected maximum 100 mm). The Japanese Wikipedia gives 94 mm as the maximum and 84.8 mm in captivity, so the records have since moved on
Notable localities
Malay PeninsulaSumatraBorneo
Regional subspecies
- Odontolabis castelnaudi castelnaudi（The nominate form of this entry） — Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo
- Odontolabis castelnaudi inomatai — Around Sumatra
- Odontolabis castelnaudi mentawaiensis — Mentawai islands
Generation codes
- WD
- Wild-caught
- WF1
- Offspring of a wild-caught female
- F1〜
- Captive generations (same locality)
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 (EN; genus description and per-species distributions)
- GBIF species page for Odontolabis castelnaudi Parry, 1862
- BE-KUWA Certified Breeding Records (Mushi-sha, FY2025 edition PDF, JA)
Taxonomy & Authority
Accepted name: Odontolabis castelnaudi Parry, 1862
Synonyms: Odontolabis castelnaudi inomatai, Odontolabis castelnaudi mentawaiensis
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.
Castelnaud's Shining Stag Beetle Listings
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