Callipogon relictus is a species of longhorn beetle which is mostly found in Korea, but also in China and southern part of Russian Far East.

[4] The population of Callipogon relictus is decreasing due to deforestation and uncontrolled collection, and therefore the species are listed in the Russian Red Book (category II).

[4] Larvae bring along spores of the fungus Pleurotus citrinopileatus,[4] that contributes to degradation of the tree.

[6][7][8][5] Larvae of different longhorn beetles can coexist in the same tree, such as Callipogon relictus, Rosalia coelestis, Leptura thoracica, Rhabdoclytus acutivittis, Anoplodera cyanea and several other species.

[9] The divergence between Callipogon relictus and other species in the genus is estimated to have occurred around 34 million years ago, around the Eocene/Oligocene boundary, during the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum.

[10] Callipogon relictus was described in 1898 by the Russian entomologist Andrey Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky (who wrote his last name as Semyonov until 1906).

[10] In Russia Callipogon relictus inhabits Amur Oblast, to the south and south-east of the town Raychikhinsk.

[10] Developed body (imago) is black, with brown elytra and brown-black feet;[4] there are two pairs of bright spots of hair on pronotum.

[4][9] Larvae are white, with black mandibles; the front half of pronotum has a transverse red stripe, which can have four narrow grooves.

Larval body is massive, yellowish-white and covered with sparse, fine yellowish hairs.

Larva feeds on rotten wood, and the adults drink juice, which protrudes from the trunks of linden, elm and other trees.

[4][12][13][15][16][17] Entomopathogenic fungus of the form Metarhizium anisopliae (Clavicipitaceae family) is deadly for a variety of insects, including the adult Callipogon relictus.

Mating occurs on the tree which serves as a feeding ground for larvae, below the place where the female will lay eggs; copulation lasts up to an hour.

After the last overwintering, they make large cradles (100–150 mm, 4–6 in) oriented perpendicular to the trunk, separated from the tree surface by about 2 cm (0.79 in).

In this novel, he points out the material pleasures and limitless greed of humans as well as respect for life through the protagonist, who dreams of making a fortune by catching this beetle and other insects.