The Hercules beetle is the largest species of beetle in the world, known to change hands for big bucks. Just ask Akio Ohara, owner of Beetle On, a specialty store in Tokyo’s Ota Ward that sells stag beetles and rhinoceros beetles. Business has been so brisk that beetle breeding has climbed to a $100 million industry in the country. In 1999, a beetle specimen sold for $100,000. The industry used to be illegal, which caused surges in beetle smuggling. In 2001, two Japanese men were arrested in Nepal for trying to smuggle out 542 beetles. Rhinoceros beetles, known for their characteristic long horns, can grow to nearly 7 inches. Stag beetles get as large as 4½ inches and have large mandibles reminiscent of stag antlers. OHara sells them for about $3.75, while larger species are much pricier. Hercules beetles typically run $470 to $938. Hirofumi Kawano, a 51-year-old grape farmer, first learned to breed beetles, and then began experimenting with his own mixes of nutrient-rich wood chips for larvae. Now he sells his own Hercules beetles, which brings in more money than his grape business. The highest price he’s garnered for a Hercules beetle is $5,440. With such big profits to be made, it’s no surprise that more people are taking an interest. Now, Sendai College of Eco and Animals has launched Japan’s first insect breeding course. The 3-year program teaches students to find beetles in the wild and market their businesses.
