Recent content by nurunuru

Nice! I really like the genus Dorcus. This guy was my pet till a few months ago when I left Japan. He's a Dorcus alcides, and he's got a decent pinch on him too! Managed to draw blood on one occasion. I couldn't hold it against the little fella though. He had a really fun personality...

I'm hoping someone here with experience of keeping Lucanus elaphus can shed some light on how long they tend to live in the imago stage, as the information I've found online has been very conflicting. Supposedly L1 to L3 takes anywhere from 1 year to several years, pupal stage lasts 7 to 9...

Miyamakuwagata is Lucanus maculifemoratus. Managed to dig up a picture of one I kept last year. I believe the most expensive domestic breed is Dorcus hopei (ookuwagata, or 'big stag beetle'), which has become very rare in the wild thanks to habitat change and whatnot. Interesting variations...

Found this Japanese tiger beetle while out hiking on Miyajima. He was really flighty and flew off whenever he saw me getting too near, but I was able to sneak up close enough to take this pic.