Walrus Tusk Beetle

Common name for a species of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, and with the scientific designation Dorysthenes walkeri. Adult males have a black and shining body, with an elongated head, large compound eyes, long segmented antennae, and two long mandibles reminiscent of walrus tusks, hence its common name. On each frontal side of the pronotum are two outward growing spikes. Their wings are transparent with dark veins. Males grow to around 52 millimeter long. Females are similar, but smaller in size and they have a more rounded head, rather than the elongated head of males. This beetle is one of the largest species of the genus Dorysthenes and is commonly found in lowland Vietnam, and also occurs in Thailand, where it is known as malaeng mae fon (แมลงแม่ฝน) and maeng mae fah mae fon (แมงแม่ฟ้าแม่ฝน), i.e. ‘mother of rain insect’ and ‘mother of sky and rain insect’, due to the fact that they usually appear in large numbers after it has rained. 回