Stag Beetle
As part of the countdown to TAFU’s Local Wildlife Day on the 11th of July – Species no. 26.
Stay tuned – 17 more days and 17 more species until then!
The Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus), also known as the European Stag Beetle, is a large and impressive beetle native to Europe. It is easily recognisable by the males’ large distinctive mandibles, which resemble the antlers of a stag. Males range from 35 to 75 mm in length, while females are smaller, measuring between 30 to 50 mm. The males use their large mandibles for fighting other males during the mating season.
Stag Beetles spend most of their life as larvae, living for several years underground and feeding on decaying wood. They are primarily found in woodlands, gardens, parks, and hedgerows where there is plenty of rotting wood, which is essential for their larval development. Adults emerge in late spring to early summer and live for only a few weeks, during which they mate and lay eggs.
These beetles are nationally scarce in the UK, primarily confined to the southeast of England. Conservation efforts focus on preserving their habitat by maintaining old trees and decaying wood. This is one reason why it is important not to keep our natural areas ‘clean’, as this dead wood, which is often removed, is instrumental in Stag Beetle development.
