The Giant Stag Beetle is a member of a group of bark beetles within the genus Dorcus and with the scientific name Dorcus titanus. These beetles are black in colour and usually have long, notched and sometimes partly serrated jaws, depending on the variety, age and gender.

There are several subspecies, the largest being Dorcus titanus palawanicus from the Palawan Islands on the Philippines, followed by Dorcus titanus titanus, which is found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. In Thailand, these gigantic beetles are popular pets, and are in general called duang kihm fan leuay, i.e. ‘sawtooth pliers-beetles’. See also List of Thai Insect Names.