| Species | Stag beetle - Lucanus cervus, beetle |
| Habitat | BROADLEAVED AND YEW WOODLAND ASH MAPLE WOODLAND WOOD PASTURE AND PARKLAND |
| Background and status |
Stag beetles are one of Europe’s largest beetlesand in Britain males tend to grow up to 70mm in length. They are so called due to the male's fearsome antler-like jaws which they use during bouts of wrestling. The comparatively smaller female does not possess these jaws, but both sexes are shiny black in appearance and have chestnut-brown wing cases. Flight is best observed on warm summer evenings from May to August, and tends to be rather cumbersome and erratic. The males also venture out at night when in search of a mate. The eggs are specifically laid in rotting wood that has sufficiently decayed over two to ten years. Once hatched, the large, white short-legged larvae, with their distinctive brown heads, feed on the wood, taking up to four years before becoming pupa. Eventually they will emerge as adults in May or June. This beetle is rare and protected in some European countries, but is still widespread in southern England. particularly parts of the south-east . It also occurs fairly frequently in the Severn valley and coastal areas of the South West. Outside these areas the records are sparse and often old, indicating some contraction of the beetle’s range. |
| Main Threats | Loss of habitat through
the removal of stumps and other dead wood.
Collection for sale may be contributing to declines. |
| Conservation and targets |
|