''Apterocyclus honoluluensis'', the Kauai flightless stag beetle, is a species of
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 ...
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 ...
. It is found 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 ...
.
[
''Apterocyclus honoluluensis'' is historically and currently the most commonly found species of ''Apterocyclus'', and is known from various locations on Kauai. It is the smallest member of the genus, at a size of 14-17 mm, rarely up to 21 mm.
The larvae were once found in large numbers in soil that contained the decomposing trunks of the tree ]Acacia koa
''Acacia koa'' or commonly known as koa is a species of flowering tree in the family Fabaceae. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, where it is the second most common tree. The highest populations are on Hawaii, Maui and Oahu.
Name
The name ...
. The larvae is sensitive to heat, and can be killed by high temperatures. Adults of ''Apterocyclus honoluluensis'' have been victims of heavy predation by the mice introduced to the Hawaiian Islands.[
In 1994, ''Apterocyclus honoluluensis'' was a potential candidate for protection from the Environmental Species Act, but it was declined because of insufficient data on vulnerability, as published in Federal Register Volume 59, Number 219, Pages 58982 - 59028, November 15, 1994.
]
References
Further reading
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External links
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Lucaninae
Beetles of Oceania
Insects of Hawaii
Endemic fauna of Hawaii
Beetles described in 1871
{{lucanidae-stub