Phalacrognathus muelleri

Phalacrognathus muelleri
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Phalacrognathus muelleri, male (left) and female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Lucanidae
Genus:	Phalacrognathus
Species:	P. muelleri
Binomial name
Phalacrognathus muelleri Macleay, 1885

Phalacrognathus muelleri, colloquially the rainbow stag beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is found in northern Queensland, Australia and New Guinea.

Phalacrognathus muelleri has been the official symbol of the Entomological Society of Queensland since 1973.

Etymology

This species is commonly known as golden, rainbow, magnificent, Mueller's and king stag beetle. In 1885 the species was named Phalacrognathus muelleri by Sir William Macleay in honour of Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, the Victorian Government Botanist, the genus Phalacrognathus created at the same time.

Description

Males of Phalacrognathus muelleri are the largest members of the Lucanidae family in Australia. Males range from 24 mm to 70 mm (0.9 to 2.8 in) in length, whereas the smaller females range from 23 mm to 46 mm (0.9 to 1.8 in).

• Phalacrognathus muelleri.jpg

  Male

• Phalacroganthus muelleri GLAM muséum Lille 2016.JPG

  Male, another view (Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Lille)

Breeding

This species breeds in wet tropical areas. Up to 50 eggs can be laid by a female and these will take 10 to 14 days to hatch. The larva can be seen in the egg before emerging. The larvae are found in wet and rotting wood often in close proximity to white rot fungi.

Examples of fungi found proximate to breeding sites are: Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Patouillard, Nigrofomes melanoporus (Mont.) Murr., Phellinus nr. glaucescens (Petch) Ryvarden; Phellinus robustus (P. Karst) Baird, & Galz., Phellinus - 3 spp., and Pycnoporus sp.

Subspecies

• Phalacrognathus muelleri muelleri — Queensland, Australia
• Phalacrognathus muelleri fuscomicans — New Guinea

External links

• Photos of Phalacrognathus muelleri