Description and development
This is a medium-sized (males 26-63 mm) species for the genus Prosopocoilus , with a wide, glossy reddish-brown to black appearance. The species is very variable: large males may have jaws that are long, rather thin and slightly curved, with a tooth at the root, a slightly larger tooth just outside the middle and a number of smaller teeth. Small males tend to have short, knife-shaped and jagged jaws. The head is large, wide, and not sculptured, with antennae having a three-wire fan. The pronotum is considerably wider than long, not narrowed at the base. The underside is the same colour as the top and the legs are dark brown to black. The female is smaller, wider and shinier, with no enlarged jaws.
The larvae develop in rotten tree trunks, probably taking a year to develop. The adult beetles may drink sap from trees.
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