''Phalacrognathus muelleri'', colloquially known as the Rainbow, King, Magnificent or Mueller's stag beetle,
is a species of
beetle
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...
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 in northern
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
,
Australia and
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
. It can come in red, green, black, and blue forms. It is the only species in its genus, ''Phalacrognathus'', which is closely related to the genus ''
Lamprima
''Lamprima'' is a genus of beetles in the family Lucanidae that contains five species.C.A.M. Reid, K. Smith, M. Beatson (2018) Revision of the Genus ''Lamprima'' Latreille, 1804 (Coleoptera: Lucanidae). Zootaxa. 4446(2); 151–202. doi:10.11646/ ...
''.
''Phalacrognathus muelleri'' has been the official symbol of the
Entomological Society of Queensland since 1973.
Etymology
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 family Lucanidae in Australia. Males range from in length, whereas the smaller females range from .
their beautiful colours fade after death and are difficult to photograph.
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 and can take up to three years to mature.
Examples of fungi found proximate to breeding sites are: ''
Ganoderma applanatum
''Ganoderma applanatum'' (the artist's bracket, artist's conk, artist's fungus or bear bread) is a bracket fungus with a cosmopolitan distribution.
Description
This fungus is parasitic and saprophytic, and grows as a mycelium within the wood o ...
'' (Pers.) Patouillard, ''
Nigrofomes melanoporus'' (Mont.) Murr., ''
Phellinus'' nr. ''glaucescens'' (Petch) Ryvarden; ''
Phellinus robustus'' (P. Karst) Baird, & Galz., ''
Phellinus'' - 3 spp., and ''
Pycnoporus'' sp.
Subspecies
The species is divided into the following two subspecies:
* ''Phalacrognathus muelleri muelleri'' — Queensland, Australia
* ''Phalacrognathus muelleri fuscomicans'' — New Guinea
References
External links
Photos of ''Phalacrognathus muelleri''
Beetles described in 1885
Beetles of Oceania
Lampriminae
{{Lucanidae-stub