Philippine Stag Beetle vs Giant Wood Hoverfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Philippine Stag Beetle Giant Wood Hoverfly
Scientific Name Cyclommatus elaphus Temnostoma vespiforme
Order Coleoptera Diptera
Family Lucanidae Syrphidae
Size 50-110 mm including mandibles 14-18 mm
Habitat Mountains Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Southeast Asia (Philippines, Mindanao, Leyte) Europe
Conservation Data Deficient Least Concern

Philippine Stag Beetle

A striking stag beetle with enormously elongated curved mandibles in males that can exceed the body length. The body has a coppery to dark brown metallic sheen with amber-tinged elytra.

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Did You Know?

The mandibles of large males are so long and curved that they are nearly useless for actual combat and serve primarily as visual displays.

Giant Wood Hoverfly

A large, wasp-mimicking hoverfly with yellow and black banding and a slender waist. Its larvae develop in decaying wood of fallen trees in old-growth forests.

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Did You Know?

It is considered an indicator species for ancient woodland due to its dependence on large volumes of decaying timber.