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Okinoerabu Saw Stag Beetle
IntermediateProsopocoilus dissimilis okinoerabuanus
A subspecies confined to Okinoerabujima. The dark brown head and prothorax contrast sharply with bright orange elytra. The body is slender, and even major males keep an inner tooth at the base of the mandible.
Difficulty
Intermediate
Temperature
20〜28℃
Lifespan
Adults live two to three months in the wild
Size
Males 27.5-69.0 mm (including captive; the wild record is 64.5 mm) / females 24.5-30 mm
Humidity
60〜80%
Diet
Sap of broadleaf trees such as Mallotus, Machilus and Castanopsis; beetle jelly
About
The Okinoerabu saw stag (Prosopocoilus dissimilis okinoerabuanus) occurs only on Okinoerabujima and was described in 1985. Males run 27.5-64.5 mm and females 24.5-30 mm. The male mandibles curve gently rather than arching as in the nominate subspecies, and even large males keep an inner tooth at the base. The body is slender, and the contrast between the dark brown head and prothorax and the bright orange elytra is what marks this subspecies out. The female's elytra lack the ridges seen in the nominate. The BE-KUWA captive record of 69.0 mm exceeds the wild record of 64.5 mm. It lives in broadleaf forest and comes to sap from mid-June to early September. Keep it like the mainland saw stag, laying in a firmly packed set of black soil or fully fermented fine substrate.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Size of the Okinoerabu Saw Stag Beetle
The Okinoerabu Saw Stag Beetle grows to Males 27.5-69.0 mm (including captive; the wild record is 64.5 mm) / females 24.5-30 mm.
Basic Info
Origin
Japan (Okinoerabujima, Kagoshima)
Lifespan
Adults live two to three months in the wild
Size
Males 27.5-69.0 mm (including captive; the wild record is 64.5 mm) / females 24.5-30 mm
Temperature
20〜28℃
Humidity
60〜80%
Diet
Care Specifications
AggressiveSolitaryBreeding: Easy
Sources: Prosopocoilus dissimilis - Wikipedia (JA; sizes, ranges and biology of the seven subspecies) / Mushinavi - Tokara saw stag (egg-laying, larvae, adult care, difficulty rating, JA)
Breeding Records & Localities
Captive record (♂)
69 mm
Wild record (♂)
64.5 mm
Record source: BE-KUWA 2025 edition (Okinoerabu saw stag, captive 69.0 mm, 遠藤富美雄 2006 / wild 64.5 mm, 田中裕二; projected maximum 74 mm. Smallest wild record 21.9 mm, 熊本甲虫倶楽部 2023)
Notable localities
Okinoerabujima (Kagoshima)
Regional subspecies
- Prosopocoilus dissimilis okinoerabuanus — Okinoerabujima
The captive record of 69.0 mm, set in 2006, stands 4.5 mm above the 64.5 mm wild record; BE-KUWA sets the dream size at 74 mm.
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) / Prosopocoilus dissimilis - Wikipedia (JA; sizes, ranges and biology of the seven subspecies)
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.
Taxonomy & Authority
Accepted name: Prosopocoilus dissimilis okinoerabuanus Ichikawa et Fujita, 1985
Authority databases: GBIF
Nomenclature follows global taxonomic authority databases.
Regulations & Conservation Status
Not CITES-listed
Sources: CITES Appendix (checklist.cites.org)
Regulations may change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant authorities.
Okinoerabu Saw Stag Beetle Listings
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