Stag Beetle: World’s most expensive insect with a price tag of Rs 75 lakh
by Pratyay · KalingaTVWhat can Rs 75 lakh buy you? The obvious answer can be a premium car, a good flat, multiple foreign vacation trips, and much more. However, you will be shocked to know that the world’s most expensive insect costs as much as Rs 75 lakh and it is none other than ‘stag beetle’. This small insect is quite rare and is considered to be a lucky charm. Some people do keep it with the hope of making them rich in a short period.
The Stag Beetle represents a “significant saproxylic assemblage in forest ecosystems and are noted for their enlarged mandibles and male polymorphism,” mentioned a recent study in the Scientific Data Journal.
According to the London-based Natural History Museum, the insects weigh between 2-6 grams and its average lifespan is 3-7 years. While the males can go up to 35-75mm in length, the females can be between 30-50mm in length. These insects are also used for medicinal purposes too. The insects are also used for medicinal purposes. When it comes to male stag beetles, they use their antler-like jaws to battle each other and the winner mates with the females.
These insects are found in warm, tropical environments and they are quite sensitive to cold temperatures. They survive dead wood and found in woodlands, parks, gardens, hedgerows etc. The adult stag beetles feed on sweet liquids from a rotting fruit. The insects survive from the energy reserves that they have accumulated during larval stage. During the larva stage, the beetles feed on dead wood by extracting splinters from the fibrous surface. As the stag beetles feed on dead wood, they do not pose a threat to living trees or shrubs and are quite harmless to vegetation.