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''Apterocyclus'' is a genus of rare
''Apterocyclus'' is a genus of rare stag beetle
Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections ...
s in the family Lucanidae
Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections ...
. There are about five described species in ''Apterocyclus''. The species of ''Apterocyclus'' are found only on the island of Kauai
Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...
in the Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...
, and are the only scarabaeoid beetles native to the Hawaiian Islands.
The ''Apterocyclus'' are flightless stag beetles, ranging in size from 14 to 23 mm. There are five recently extant species, although some may now be extinct. More than 130 specimens of Apterocyclus were studied between 1871 and 1922, but very few specimens have been found and placed in institutional collections over the past 50 years. Only three of the five species have been confirmed living since the late 1960s (''Apterocyclus honoluluensis'', ''A. kawaii'', and ''A. waterhousei'').
Based on subfossils from caves at low elevation, it appears that most species of ''Apterocyclus'' became extinct after the arrival of humans to Hawaii. Most of the extant species are now found at higher elevations, above 2,000 feet.
Species
These five species belong to the genus ''Apterocyclus'': * '' Apterocyclus honoluluensis'' Waterhouse, 1871 (Kauai flightless stag beetle) * '' Apterocyclus kawaii'' Paulsen & Hawks * '' Apterocyclus munroi'' Sharp, 1908 * '' Apterocyclus palmatus'' Van Dyke, 1921 * '' Apterocyclus waterhousei'' Sharp, 1908References
Further reading
*External links
* Lucaninae Scarabaeoidea genera Endemic fauna of Hawaii {{lucanidae-stub