Oxynopterus mucronatus
Oxynopterus mucronatus, sometimes known as the giant click beetle, is a species of click beetle from tropical Southeast Asia. Their larvae are specialized predators of termites. Taxonomy. "Oxynopterus mucronatus" was originally described by the French entomologist Guillaume-Antoine Olivier in 1792 as "Elater mucronatus". The type specimen was obtained from the collection of William V, Prince of Orange. It became the type species of the genus "Oxynopterus", established by the English naturalist Frederick William Hope in 1842. "O. mucronatus" is classified under the tribe Oxynopterini, in the click beetle family Elateridae. The generic name "Oxynopterus" means "sharp-wing  in ancient Greek; while the specific name mucronatus" is Latin for "pointed". Both refer to the sharp, pointed tips of the elytra. Description. "O. mucronatus", like other members of the genus "Oxynopterus", are among the largest of the click beetles. The males have distinctive feather-like antennae, with long flat lamellae extending from the antenna segments. The females in contrast, have thin toothed antennae and are larger than the males. The prothorax is shield-shaped, with sharply pointed posteriolateral tips. The elytra are long and smooth, tapering to a sharp point. The claws are simple, without bristles (setae), pads, or  lobes on the tarsal segments. They are predominantly reddish-brown in life. Ecology. The larvae of "O. mucronatus" are specialized predators of termites of the genus "Neotermes". Uses. Dried "O. mucronatus" is regarded as a traditional aphrodisiac in Javanese culture. They are also popular among insect collectors due to their large sizes.