【78mm】Faced Tamilsi Waba Stag Beetle, Chilean Stag Beetle, Small Head Stag Beetle Specimen

Scientific Name: Sphaenognathus feisthameli

Inhabits the tropical rainforests of the high Andes Mountains in Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia in South America.

Adults reach lengths of 50-80mm, making them the second-largest stag beetles in South America after Chilean stag beetles. However, their body length can reach around 50mm, making them larger than Chilean stag beetles.
While not as extreme as Chilean stag beetles, males have relatively small heads, long mandibles and legs, and numerous spines on their tibiae, giving them a body shape similar to Chilean stag beetles. Females also closely resemble female Chilean stag beetles.
As the name suggests, the elytra have thin, wrinkle-like grooves running across them, and the body surface, including the mandibles, is covered in fine, silvery hairs. This is thought to be an adaptation to the cold high-altitude environment. Other species in the *Sphaenognathus* genus also tend to have more hairs than other stag beetles.

Little is known about this species as its habitat is at high altitudes of around 2000m, making it difficult for humans to access, and few specimens have been collected. More specimens are imported to Japan as preserved insects rather than live ones. Live specimens are sensitive to high temperatures and have short lifespans, so breeding methods have not yet been established.
Raising larvae is also extremely difficult, as most eggs rot before hatching.

The hairy appearance and unusual form among stag beetles give them a weird bug feel rather than a typical stag beetle look, which is very cool. Recommended for fans of unusual insects!

Please note that we cannot guarantee against downgrading due to transport.
We will ship the specimen pictured, collected from Carmen Alto, Huancayo, Junín Province, Peru, at an altitude of 2800m. It was collected in January 2025. My measurement was 78mm.