Narrative

Odontolabis Genus is found from India to New Guinea. Some countries such as Malaysia and Sumatra have many different species in the genus. This genus contains some of the largest and most handsome beetles in the world. Odontolabis femoralis, Odontolabis alces, and several others frequently reach lengths of over 8.0 and sometimes 9.0 centimeters. According to Lacroix in l984, the number of species has now reached 54 (including the Chalcodes and Heterochtes and Odontolabis). The Odontolabis group is one of the curiosities of nature in that most of the species have multiple forms for the male based on mandible shape with no intermediate forms known. The various forms are as follows:

Telodont: - usually the largest form
Mesodont: - large with internal teeth
Amphiodont: - medium small
Prionodont: - smallest form

For the serious student of this genus, the known species of Odontolabis are listed below. The Lacroix organization is followed with slight modifications to certain location data. There are 42 known species in the genus Odontolabis, twelve in the Chalcodes and Heterochtes group, to total 54. The closely related Neolucanus group is not listed.

Odontolabis alces group, primarily all brown or all black (eleven):
SPECIES - - - - - LOCATION
O. alces - Philippines
O. intermedius - Palawan and North Philippines
O. celebensis - Celebes
O. dalmani - Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo
O. gracilis - Sumatra, Borneo
O. bellicosus - Java
O. siva - India, China, Taiwan

O. platynotus - Indo-China
O. macrocephalus - China
O. pareoxus - India
O. camelus - Philippines

Odontolabis stevensi group, frequently bicolored (five):
O. stevensi - Celebes
O. micros - Celebes
O. duivenbodei - Indonesia (Local)
O. leuthneri - Borneo
O. castelnaudi - West Malaysia and Sumatra

Odontolabis brookeanus group, (Six):
O. brookeanus - Borneo and Sumatra
O. sommeri - Sumatra
O. lowei - Borneo
O. eremicola - Borneo
O. pahangensis - Malaysia
O. notari - Borneo and Sumatra

Odontolabis gazella group, (Three):
O. gazella - Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra
O. inaequalis - Sumatra
O. instabilis - Sumatra Odontolabis latipennis group, solid color-no telodonts (Three):
O. latipennis - Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, Etc.
O. fratellus - Philippines
O. planiceps - Ambon

Odontolabis delesserti group (six):
O. delesserti - South India
O. burmeisteri - India
O. cuvera - China and India (7 color variations)
O. mouhoti - Indo China
O. femoralis - Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo
O. elegans - Burma

Odontolabis lacordairei group (eight):
O. lacorairei - Sumatra, Borneo
O. spectabilis - Sumatra
O. ludekingi - Sumatra (2 color forms)
O. mollenkampi - Sumatra
O. vollenhoveni - Borneo
O. imperialis - Borneo
O. relucens - Sumatra
O. wollastoni - Malaysia and Sumatra

Chalcodes aeratus group (three):
C. aeratus - Malaysia and Sumatra and Borneo
C. cupreiventris - Malaysia and Sumatra
C. rubens - Malaysia

Chalcodes carinatus group (six):
C. carinatus - South India and Ceylon
C. nigritus - Ceylon
C. striatus - Borneo
C. cephalotes - Borneo
C. ritsemae - Malaysia and Sumatra
C. sarisinorum - Celebes

C. versicolor group (one):
C. versicolor - South India

Heterochtes group (two):
H. andamanensis - Andaman
H. brachypterus - Cambodge

For further study in this genus, refer to The Beetles of the World, Volume IV, Odontolabini 1, by Jean-Pierre Lacroix published by Sciences Nat in France.

Taxonomy

References