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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Scarabaeoidea » Stag Beetles (Lucanidae) » Lucaninae » Platycerini » Platycerus » Platycerus oregonensis
Photo#167556
Platycerus oregonensis - male
Copyright © 2008 Will Chatfield-Taylor

Platycerus oregonensis - Male
Bear Creek Rd, Santa Clara County, California, USA
December 21, 2007
Size: 14mm
17mm to tip of the elytra, to the tp of the abdomen, 20mm. Found inside a log.

It's definitely P. oregonensis, it keys out perfectly using Benesh, 1946. It's just really, really, really large. mandible-to-elytra length is at least 17mm, which. The largest individual out of 450 sampled in Benesh was only 15.4mm (minumum 11.2). If you include the length of the protruding abdomen it measures in at 20mm. I'm really not sure what to make of this. It just seems very unlikely that out of 450 specimens, this could be so much larger.

I'd appreciate any comments

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Platycerus oregonensis - male Platycerus oregonensis - male Platycerus oregonensis - male
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Contributed by Will Chatfield-Taylor on 29 January, 2008 - 8:27pm
Last updated 30 January, 2008 - 4:17pm

Funny
All this time I've been thinking this giant one is maybe something other than P. oregonensis. It never occurred to me to look at the little one. There will be some photos of another specimen coming, I'd appreciate your thoughts on them
… Will Chatfield-Taylor, 30 January, 2008 - 2:58pm login or register to post comments

measurement query
what is the measurement from the base of the mandibles to the apices of the elytra? Typically, mandibles are not included.
… Phillip Harpootlian, 30 January, 2008 - 2:45pm login or register to post comments

 
oh...
In that case it comes out to maybe a bit more than 14mm from base of mandible to elytra. Guess it isn't that big after all.
… Will Chatfield-Taylor, 30 January, 2008 - 2:48pm login or register to post comments

 
makes sense
if you measure mandibles, you'd get a skewed view of the size variation - males vs females, major males vs minor males. The body, minus secondary sexual characters [horns, mandibles, etc.] is a better measure. The overall length is probably more important to 'collectors' looking for the biggest Dynastes hercules beetle for instance.
… Phillip Harpootlian, 30 January, 2008 - 3:47pm login or register to post comments

 
Like me then
though I'd be happy for ANY Dynastes of any species of any sex and of any size!
… Will Chatfield-Taylor, 30 January, 2008 - 4:17pm login or register to post comments

Wow! What a monster! My large
Wow! What a monster! My largest specimen is just over 15.5 mm. Do you know if the log was oak?
… Dennis Haines, 30 January, 2008 - 1:35pm login or register to post comments

 
Hmm
We found it in a little canyon off Bear Creek Rd. The trees were California Bay, Redwood, and probably oak. Do you know what the deal is with the size... I have to ask, could it be something new?
… Will Chatfield-Taylor, 30 January, 2008 - 2:41pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Platycerus oregonensis.
… Will Chatfield-Taylor, 29 January, 2008 - 10:16pm login or register to post comments

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