'''Macrodontia cervicornis''' is the largest and best-known member of this genus of long-horned beetles, and this species is sometimes considered the second longest among all beetles, with known specimens exceeding 17
cm in length. A fair bit of this length, however, is due to the enormous jaws, from which it derives both of the names in its binomen; ''Macrodontia'' means "large tooth", and ''cervicornis'' means "
deer antler". For that reason, it is generally excluded from consideration by purists who do not take the jaws,
legs, or
antennae of a beetle into account when determining length. This species is known from the rain forests of
Colombia,
Peru,
Bolivia, the Guianas, and
Brazil, but there are an additional seven described species in the genus, extending the overall range of the genus from
Guatemala to
Argentina.
References
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