Some Lucanidae

[karan]

Drawer with ODONTOLABIS and HEXARTHRIUS

ODONTOLABIS CUVERA SINENSIS / ODONTOLABIS CUVERA FALLACIOSA / ODONTOLABIS LACORDAIREI / ODONTOLABIS MOUHOTI ELEGANS / ODONTOLABIS LUDEKINGI

ODONTOLABIS WOLLASTONI / ODONTOLABIS STEVENSI STEVENSI / ODONTOLABIS STEVENSI DUIVENBODEI / ODONTOLABIS CASTELNAUDI CASTELNAUDI / ODONTOLABIS SIVA SIVA

ODONTOLABIS LATIPENNIS/ ODONTOLABIS SOMMERI SOMMERI / ODONTOLABIS GAZELLA / HEXARTHRIUS RHINOCEROS CHAUDOIRI /HEXARTHRIUS BUQUETI / MESOTOPUS TARANDUS

HEXARTHRIUS MANDIBULARIS SUMATRANUS / HEXARTHRIUS PARRYI PARADOXUS / HEXARTHRIUS RHINOCEROS CHAUDOIRI /HEXARTHRIUS BUQUETI

HEXARTHRIUS MANDIBULARIS SUMATRANUS 100mm

[trehopr1]

Now that is a very fine drawer of specimens indeed !

I have always liked the Lucanidae and I could easily see myself wanting to collect scores of them. However, the reality is a lot of folks out there like this group; so they are very popular and of course all the biggest ones or the nicely marked ones nearly always wind up costing quite a bit as these are the kinds of things that people have pride of ownership in.

I have only managed to get about 20 different species over the years but, I stopped bothering with them five years ago when I saw the prices creeping up into the stratosphere for all the best ones...

[trehopr1]

Now, this one in the center is really something!



If I have your names in the correct order than the incredible "brute" in  the center should be Odontolabis castelnaudi castelnaudi. I have seen everything else I believe but, somehow this beastie is one I don't recall having seen. What a magnificent creature !!

It has an absolutely massive wide head and a set of short mandibles that look like they could bend re-bar... Is this species a tough find in the market? What sort of measurements do average to "above average" males achieve? Also, if possible approximate price range?? Thanks.

[karan]

Yes sir, is a Odontolabis castelnaudi castelnaudi, bought from ebay seller maximinus7, bought it at auction for 12.61 eur 13.85 USD, measures 76mm 2.99 inches.
It wasn't expensive for what it is.
I like odontolabis, but those that have that cream color in the elytra make me crazy, although the preparation is always complex, at least for me, since the rapid humidity darkens the color and can leave darker the elytra.
Fortunately it has not happened with either of them.

Thanks to you for showing interest, these post take time between preparing and editing images, uploading them to imgur and editing the post in bcode.

[wollastoni]

Wonderful Odontolabis, congrats !

[trehopr1]

Believe me, do I know how much time it takes to create a thread ! !
Posts are pretty quick and easy as they are just a quick reply or acknowledgement. However, creating a thread is a whole nother' beast....
In all sincerity, my average thread is easily 1 1/2 hours of time with say 2 pictures included. My last Colias thread was about 2 1/2 hours of time.

I'm not complaining by any means. If nothing else it explains why more people don't create threads or post photo's. I don't think it a lack of interest.
Still, like you I appreciate those who "like" the threads I post and even better those who have something more to add about them.

P.S. The most prolific and thorough "true" writer that I know of on this forum (or the other) is Nomad (Peter). His articles, detective work, and first class writing skills are without equal here. He is on another level ! He creates masterpieces the way an artist works in oils. It's his true medium....

[karan]

I understand perfectly that people publish little because it takes work, but what seems strange to me is that they do not click or like some incredible posts both in content and work that you see that it has taken to do so.
I would also like to make publications going into more details, but I am hesitant when I see the level of some of the members, I have to translate what I write with google.
My posts are colorful, but I'm not an entomologist, anyway thanks to those of you who comment them, well, and to those who see them silently too.

[ren]

Really excellent collection! I would like to make a display of some of these beetles!