- Chiasognathus grantii
-
Chiasognathus grantii 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Family: Lucanidae Genus: Chiasognathus Species: C. grantii Binomial name Chiasognathus grantii
Stephens, 1831 [1]Synonyms See text
Chiasognathus grantii is a species of stag beetle found in Argentina and Chile.[2] It is known as Darwin's beetle, Grant's stag beetle, or the Chilean stag beetle.[3][4]
Contents
Behavior
The male's over-sized jaws are crucial in its objective to secure a mate. It climbs trees, often climbing many meters, searching for a female. As it climbs and searches for females, it also seeks out other males in the vicinity. When two males meet, they fight. Males use their jaws in combat: they hook them under the opposite beetle's wings, pull up and throw their opponent to the ground (from 20 meters above, as they are in great trees most of the time).[5] Charles Darwin collected the species in Chile during the second voyage of HMS Beagle, and, despite the enlarged mandibles of the males, he noted that the jaws were "not so strong as to produce pain to finger".[6][7]
Taxonomy and nomenclature
Chiasognathus grantii is one of the seven species belonging to the genus Chiasognathus.[8] It belongs to the subfamily Lucaninae, the largest subfamily in the stag beetle family Lucanidae. C. grantii is also known locally as ciervo volante, cantábria, and cacho de cabra in Spanish and llico-llico in the Mapuche language.[3]
Synonyms
Synonyms of this species include:[9]
- Tetropthalma chiloensis Lesson, 1833
- Chiasognathus affinis Philippi in Philippi, 1859
- Chiasognathus pygmaeus Dallas, 1933
- Chiasognathus brevidens Germain, 1911 (nomen nudum)
References
- ^ "Chiasognathus grantii". Biolib.cz. http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id55429/. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
- ^ M. J. Paulsen (November 24, 2008). "Annotated Checklist of the New World Lucanidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)". http://www-museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/Guide/Scarabaeoidea/Lucanidae/Lucanidae-Catalog/LucanidaeC.htm.
- ^ a b Charles Leonard Hogue (1993). "Chilean stag beetle". Latin American Insects and Entomology. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press. pp. 263–264. ISBN 9780520078499.
- ^ "Coyhaique". South Anglers. http://www.southanglers.cl/programs-coyhaique.php. Retrieved 2009-11-22.
- ^ David Attenborough (narrator). Life: Darwin Beetle Tosses Rivals (Television production). Life Series, BBC/Life: Insects, The Discovery Channel, Discovery Communications, LLC. http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/life-darwin-beetle-tosses-rivals.html.
- ^ "Entomology treasures". Natural History Museum. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/collections/departmental-collections/museum-treasures/entomology/index.html. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
- ^ Kenneth G. V. Smith (1987). "Darwin's insects: Charles Darwin's entomological notes, with an introduction and comments by Kenneth G. V. Smith". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Historical Series 14 (1): 1–143. http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=F1830&viewtype=text&pageseq=1. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
- ^ M. J. Paulsen & Andrew B. T. Smith (2010). "Revision of the genus Chiasognathus Stephens of southern South America with the description of a new species (Coleoptera, Lucanidae, Lucaninae, Chiasognathini)". ZooKeys 43: 33–63. doi:10.3897/zookeys.43.397.
- ^ M. J. Paulsen (August 5, 2009). "Generic Guide to New World Scarab Beetles: Chiasognathus grantii Stephens, 1832". University of Nebraska State Museum - Division of Entomology. http://www.unl.edu/museum/research/entomology/Guide/Scarabaeoidea/Lucanidae/LUC/CHIA/grantii.html. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
External links
Media related to Chiasognathus grantii at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Chiasognathus grantii at Wikispecies
Categories:- Lucaninae
- Beetles of South America
- Animals described in 1831
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
