Rhaetulus recticornis
Coleoptera / Family: Lucanidae
- Total length
- Male 21-48 mm, Female 19-30 mm
- Range
- Amami-Oshima and Tokunoshima
It is nocturnal, gathering around sap oozing from branches of trees like Castanopsis and Mallotus japonicus, and is also attracted to light. In the diorama, despite its rarity, it can be seen near the sap.
In larger males, the mandibles curve three-dimensionally like antlers. This is Japan’s only species in the genus Rhaetulus, while other members of this genus are widespread across Southeast Asia.
Adults emerge around May and can be seen until October. The larvae are typically found in fallen logs in moist environments.
Habitat of This Animal:
B:Forest along the mountain ridge - B2:Deep forest
As time passes from the felling of trees, trees in the forest will grow taller and thicker. Tall trees like Castanopsis, a representative tree of forests in Tokunoshima Island, form the forest canopy. Different layers of plants are formed beneath it, including medium-to-small trees and bottom weeds, and the forest floor becomes gradually darker. Through such a process, the forest will become deeper, supporting the fauna of Tokunoshima Island.
This B2:Deep forest