Stag Beetle, The World’s Most Expensive Insect, Costs As Much As a Luxury Car

One of the world’s most expensive insects is stag beetles, which can easily cost up to crores. As bizarre as this sounds, it is quite true that people across the world are ready to shell out an exorbitant amount of money to have this beetle. Generally, people go the extra lengths for their pets, but what is so special about this particular beetle? Well, stag beetles are rare insects that can make you a millionaire overnight. Its monetary value is so high that one can almost equate it with that of a luxury car like Audi or BMW. It is one of the most expensive insects in the world whose price can go as high as Rs 75 lakh easily. The insect is merely two to three inches in size and drills a hole in the pockets of people who want to buy this insect. They are also used for medicinal purposes. What makes them so expensive is that they are quite rare and exceptionally unique.

The name of the beetle is derived from the distinctive mandibles found on the male ones that resemble an antler of stags. Speaking of what they eat, well, their entire diet is dependent on liquid. They consume fluids that are sweet like sap from a tree. They also drink liquid from decaying fruits. Stag beetles are known to not be able to bear cold and prefer tropical places only. It can be found in oak woodlands, gardens, hedgerows and parks. The larvae of the beetle depend on old trees and rotting wood. These insects love the dead wood and use their sharp jaws to scrape surfaces. Their favourite indulgence is wood that gets infected with white rot.

How would you identify a male and female stag beetle?

Male stag beetles have large jaws and oversized mandibles that are used to wrestle with rival males to win over the females, a behaviour similar to stags. Females, on the other hand, are smaller than males and have smaller mandibles that are comparatively more powerful than the males. In the larvae form, a female beetle can be identified by its cream colour and fat ovaries visible through the skin. The females are generally spotted on the ground always looking for a spot to lay their eggs.