AI-generated image
Reiche's Flat Stag Beetle
BeginnerDorcus reichei
A slender small-to-mid-sized flat stag beetle resembling an enlarged Dorcus striatipennis. Several subspecies range from north-east India through Indochina to the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Sumatra. Hardy, prolific and quick to mature, it is a widely traded entry species among exotic flat stags.
Difficulty
Beginner
Temperature
23℃
Lifespan
Adults 1-2 years
Size
Males up to 58.9mm (nominate) or 65.7mm (ssp. prosti); females 24-30mm in captive examples
Humidity
60〜80%
Diet
Beetle jelly (adults); kinshi bottles or fermented substrate (larvae)
About
Reiche's flat stag beetle (Dorcus reichei) is a small-to-mid-sized flat stag with a nominate form from north-east India, Nepal and Bhutan through Myanmar, northern Thailand, Laos and northern Vietnam, plus the subspecies prosti on the Malay Peninsula and Borneo and hansteini on Sumatra. It looks like an enlarged Dorcus striatipennis, slender-bodied, with clearly grooved female elytra and both long- and short-mandibled males. The nominate form reaches 58.9mm and prosti 65.7mm; some individuals are strongly reddish. Husbandry is considered as easy as for Japanese small Dorcus, and one wild female yielded more than 50 larvae. Females lay mainly in substrate rather than logs, so set at 23C or above. Larvae emerge in about six months from a 450cc kinshi bottle, and females have emerged in little over two months, so watch for staggered emergence between sexes. Adults live 1-2 years. Keeping is easy with winter temperatures above 10C, but below 5C is dangerous, and above 30C keep the case drier and ventilated.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lifespan of the Reiche's Flat Stag Beetle
The Reiche's Flat Stag Beetle lives Adults 1-2 years.
Size of the Reiche's Flat Stag Beetle
The Reiche's Flat Stag Beetle grows to Males up to 58.9mm (nominate) or 65.7mm (ssp. prosti); females 24-30mm in captive examples.
Temperature & humidity for the Reiche's Flat Stag Beetle
The ideal temperature for the Reiche's Flat Stag Beetle is 23℃.
Basic Info
Origin
North-east India to northern Vietnam (nominate), Malay Peninsula and Borneo (ssp. prosti), Sumatra (ssp. hansteini)
Care Specifications
Breeding Records & Localities
Notable localities
Malay PeninsulaBorneoSumatra (Bukittinggi, Mt. Dempo)Indochina
Regional subspecies
- Dorcus reichei reichei（nominate subspecies） — North-east India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Myanmar, northern Thailand, Laos, northern Vietnam
- Dorcus reichei prosti（Malay Reiche's） — Malay Peninsula, Borneo
- Dorcus reichei hansteini（Hanstein's flat stag） — Sumatra
No BE-KUWA 2025 record row. Wild maxima follow the COLORS catalogue by subspecies (nominate 58.9mm, hansteini 52.0mm, prosti 65.7mm).
Generation codes
- WD
- Wild-caught
- WF1
- Offspring of a wild-caught female
- F1〜
- Captive generations (same locality)
- CBF1
- Cross-locality captive-bred (reset)
Sources: COLORS flat stag beetle catalogue / 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)
- Dorcus Danke: Malay Reiche's flat stag care notes
- Tsukiyono Kinokoen: D. reichei rearing and emergence
- Ookabuto no Heya: D. reichei (Sumatra) rearing log
- Ookabuto no Heya: D. reichei (Mt. Dempo) rearing log
- COLORS flat stag beetle catalogue
- BE-KUWA certified breeding records (Mushi-sha, 2025 edition)
Taxonomy & Authority
Accepted name: Dorcus reichei Hope, 1842
Synonyms: Serrognathus reichei
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.
Reiche's Flat Stag Beetle Listings
Loading latest listingsFind listings for this species
