Source: Wikimedia Commons
Davison's Stag Beetle
BeginnerHexarthrius davisoni
A mid-sized fork-horned stag from southern India with handsome brown-red elytra and glossy, gently arched mandibles. Unusually for the genus it lays readily in substrate as well as logs and can be very prolific, making it one of the easier Hexarthrius to breed.
Difficulty
Beginner
Temperature
22〜26℃
Lifespan
Adults 6 months to 1 year
Size
Males 60-83mm, females 35-48mm
Humidity
60〜80%
Diet
Beetle jelly (adults); fermented substrate or kinshi bottles (larvae)
About
Davison's stag beetle (Hexarthrius davisoni) is a mid-sized fork-horned stag from southern India. The elytra are brown to reddish, matte in males and strongly glossy in females; the mandibles curve in a gentle arc, are polished and angular at the sides. Males measure 60-83mm and females 35-48mm, and the BE-KUWA 2025 captive record of 88.2mm (2010) exceeds the wild record of 85.5mm. Most Hexarthrius lay on log surfaces, but this species also lays readily in substrate: one keeper obtained 14 larvae from a log-free packed-substrate set in about ten days, another 20 eggs from laying substrate alone. Pairing and laying succeed at around 25C, and a set at 22C reportedly produced nothing. Larvae grow on fermented substrate or kinshi, but they feed slowly and wander and shrink if bottle changes are mistimed. Once expensive, its fecundity has stabilised supply and it is now easy to obtain.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lifespan of the Davison's Stag Beetle
The Davison's Stag Beetle lives Adults 6 months to 1 year.
Size of the Davison's Stag Beetle
The Davison's Stag Beetle grows to Males 60-83mm, females 35-48mm.
Temperature & humidity for the Davison's Stag Beetle
The ideal temperature for the Davison's Stag Beetle is 22〜26℃.
Basic Info
Origin
Southern India (Tamil Nadu etc.)
Lifespan
Adults 6 months to 1 year
Care Specifications
Breeding Records & Localities
Captive record (♂)
88.2 mm
Record source: BE-KUWA 2025 edition (Davison's stag: captive 88.2mm, Hirotaka Matsubayashi, 2010; wild record 85.5mm)
Notable localities
Tamil Nadu, India
No subspecies. The BE-KUWA female record is 45.0mm (2012).
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, 2025 edition)
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 (Japan): Importing live Scarabaeoidea beetles
- CITES Appendices (species not listed)
- kuro1-dia blog: pairing and laying set for H. davisoni
- Kuwagata Bibouroku: H. davisoni rearing log 2022
- Dorcus Brothers: H. davisoni pairing and laying
- Musiya.com encyclopedia: H. davisoni
- COLORS fork-horned stag beetle catalogue
- BE-KUWA certified breeding records (Mushi-sha, 2025 edition)
- GBIF
Taxonomy & Authority
Accepted name: Hexarthrius davisoni Waterhouse, 1888
Authority databases: GBIF
Nomenclature follows global taxonomic authority databases.
Regulations & Conservation Status
Not CITES-listed
Plant Protection Act: Live Scarabaeoidea beetles (rhinoceros, stag and flower beetles) may be imported into Japan only with a species-name certificate issued by the exporting government under the Invasive Alien Species Act, and only through Narita, Chubu, Kansai, Fukuoka or Kagoshima airports. This species is not a designated invasive alien species and can be imported with the certificate.
Sources: Ministry of the Environment (Japan): Importing live Scarabaeoidea beetles / CITES Appendices (species not listed)
Regulations may change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant authorities.
Davison's Stag Beetle Listings
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