Book Review – For the Love of Rhinos and Stag Beetles – 2nd Edition
Very few books can claim that it is the “Bible of …” However, the second edition of For the love of rhinoceros and deer beetles reaffirms its title in the field of beetle husbandry. In 2001, the first edition of the book was published simultaneously in English and Chinese and was written by Jonathan Lai. It was not a volume on the taxonomy of insects or a book on the popularization of insects. It was about the art of beetle farming, an unheard of hobby at the time. Although beetle breeding was already very popular in Japan, and finding beetle literature in Japan was easy, obtaining information on beetle breeding was a rarity outside of the Land of the Rising Sun. The first edition was beautifully illustrated and covered the major genera (Lucanidae, Dynastidae, and Cetonidae) that were raised in the hobby.
It single-handedly launched the popularity of beetle breeding in Taiwan and helped many other beetle breeders around the world. The second edition of For the Love of Rhinoceros and Stag Beetles is co-authored by Jonathan Lai and Ko Shin-ping, a professional beetle breeder. It is published in two volumes and includes instructions in both English and Chinese. Pick up where you left off with everything a breeder needs to know to successfully breed beetles. Covers many of the same material as the first edition. However, the author has gained more experience since the first edition and, with the collaboration of other professional breeders, the book now includes more knowledge about beetle husbandry, more photographs passed in time, and even corrected data from the previous edition.
Volume I explains the different levels of decomposition found in wood that are needed to make a successful beetle substrate. It also reveals the secret of making a flour-fermented wood substrate (a question that is often asked but rarely explained in beetle breeding forums) to encourage beetle larvae to reach maximum size. Covers most of the major rhinoceros beetles (Dynastidae) such as: Megasoma, Chalcosoma and the various species of Dynastes such as D. granti, D. tityus, D. hyllus and D. neptunus. A very long chapter is dedicated to D. Hercules and his various forms, all shown in life-size photographs.
A single chapter summarizes the flower beetles (Cetonidae), while another is dedicated to the Goliathus beetle. For the newcomer who wants to try his hand at the Goliathus, this chapter contains information that is crucial to the success of his breeding. However, for the seasoned breeder who has browsed the net to find breeding information on Goliathus breeding techniques, you will find that it is the same article printed onNatural worlds by German breeder Karl Meier. Finally, the volume is completed by the Rutelini beetles (from the well-known American breeder Orin McMonigle) and the long-arm beetles (Euchirinae), a genus that is missing from the previous publication.
Volume II focuses mainly on stag beetles (Lucanidae) such as the various genera Dorcus, Prosopocoilus, Odontolabis, and Lucanus. Identification keys are included to differentiate the different subspecies and maximum species sizes are given (when available). Other topics included are: Mating and oviposition, Determination of the sex of larvae and Mites. In my opinion, the Holy Grail is the recipe for making your own kinshi bottles. Kinshi has been the only factor that has allowed Japanese breeders to master the hobby of beetle farming. All record size specimens have been produced in Japan. The magical kinshi consists of allowing the mycelium of the fungus to colonize a wooden substrate. The stag beetle larvae that consume this substrate grow at a tremendous rate and become older adults. The illustrated step-by-step instructions are priceless!
The two volumes consist of individual chapters, each of which explains specific husbandry techniques in terms of breeding conditions, egg-laying requirements, and larval care of a particular species. Images of the beetle in various states (egg, larva, pupa, and imago) are illustrated. As the owner of the first edition, I realized that much of the information would be repeated in this new version, but the addition of the new photos and the updated reproduction techniques were more than enough to make it an enjoyable experience. However, a flaw that was present in the first edition was found again in the new one: the underrepresentation of the Flower Beetle family (Cetonidae). Flower beetle species consist of 30% of all species found in reproduction and yet only two chapters were included (a general flower beetle chapter and a Goliathus chapter). Comparatively, the Dynastes hercules family was described for all known subspecies.
In conclusion, the second edition of For the Love of Rhinoceros and Stag Beetles is a must for all serious beetles, whether they are breeders or not. Much of the information on beetle reproductive behaviors comes from the beetle breeding community. The authors manage to pass on all the required knowledge from A to Z to all newcomers and experienced breeders are sure to find some surprises.
The book is available: here.
Authors: Jonathan Lai, Ko Shin-ping
468 pages / 850 full color photos
43 chapters
Text in English and Mandarin Chinese
Each set contains two books and a box.
The whole set is 4 cm thick.
Dimensions: 19.4 cm x 27.4 cm
ISBN: 978-957-41-5817-1