These cookies allow us to target other information on our website, like advertising, towards your interests. On Jul 16, 2008, unti87 from Cary, IL wrote: This guy landed on me near a corn field on 7-12-08. About stag beetles (Lucanidae spp. You may see stag beetles flying around on warm summer evenings, or you might dig up the large, white grubs, called larvae, in the garden. Stag beetle count. Cottonwood stag beetles can grow from 1.02 to 1.14 inches in length and have glossy back-colored bodies. Stag beetles are the UKs largest beetle, measuring up to 7.5cm long thats about the size of an adults thumb! If youre planning a pond, ensure it has some shallow edges. They spend most of their life underground as larvae, only emerging for a few weeks in the summer to find a mate and reproduce. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. OMG stag beetles Im not sure about stag beetles being rare at all. Whilst there are over a thousand species of stag beetle across the world, we only have three members of the stag beetle family here in the UK; the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus), its smaller relative the lesser stag beetle (Dorcus paralellapipidus) and the rhinoceros beetle (Sinodendron cylindricum).You can see the differences between each type, and with other beetles, on this PDF guide by the PTES. If this document didnt answer your questions, please contact HGIC at hgic@clemson.edu or 1-888-656-9988. Beetles are found throughout the United States - reaching as far out as Hawaii, Alaska, and territories inbetween. Adults feed on sap. The beetle battles by trying to grab an opponent with its enlarged mandibles and then throw the opponent into the air. Download our top tips poster for inspiration: Dead wood provides food and homes for a multitude of wildlife species. The giant stag beetle (Lucanus elaphus) is the largest insect in the US that requires dead wood. Once fully grown, the larvae leave the rotting wood theyve been feeding onto build a large cocoon in the soil where they pupate and finally metamorphoseinto an adult. Support our work in our shop with a range of charity gifts, home-ware, cards and more. Found in Warminster, Pennsylvania. So, whether youre in your garden, heading to a National Park, like the New Forest, or living the city life in London, keep an eye out for these astonishing insects! Take part. Females lay fertilized eggs in decomposing logs and tree trunks. [3] As larvae, females are distinguished by their cream-coloured, fat ovaries visible through the skin around two-thirds of the way down their back. Pennsylvania Ground Beetle (Harpalus pensylvanicus). LinkedIn It is absolutely avoidable. You can act now by choosing to give to our cause. By the end of August, most of them will have died. No doubt they are attracted by the smell of the larvae and quite probably by their stridulation as well; foxes have very acute senses. They are nearly always found below ground and can beas deep ashalf a metre down. Use wood chip or bark instead to supress weeds (and provide habitat for stag beetles). Stag beetles, known as kuwagata mushi in Japanese, are very popular as pets in Japan, much like rhinoceros beetles (kabuto mushi). Though this is largely natural predation, the rise in the numbers of magpies and carrion crows in the last decade may be having an impact on stag beetle populations. Hopefully get to see them in the future! (orig. Scientific Name: Lucanus capreolus Other Name (s): Reddish-brown Stag Beetle; Common Stag Beetle Category: Beetle Size (Adult; Length): 20mm to 36mm (0.78" to 1.41") Colors: red; black; orange; yellow Descriptors: pincers; claw; pinchers; big; hefty; reddish brown; flying Stag-Beetle-Lucanus-Capreolus Video (s) The winning male gets the opportunity to mate. Stag beetles spend most of their life cycle underground as a larva three to five years depending on the weather. This can be anywhere from three to seven yearsdepending on the weather. However, lesser stags are black all over with matt wing cases, while female stag beetles have shiny brown wing cases. Parks, gardens, hedgerows, orchards, and woodlands are all great habitats for stag beetles! While they are also called pinching bugs by some, they are quite harmless. Female beetles are smaller at between 30-50mm long, with smallermandibles. The adult lives on the ground in woods. Stag Beetles can fly and often go out to look for a mate at dusk. Change region, COUNTRY*AustraliaIrelandNew ZealandUnited KingdomOther. explore and learn delivered straight to your inbox. In fact, stag beetles have been known to infest homes, usually older ones, and feed off the wood in the walls, doors, and window sills. It has a typical diet of the following: sap. For information on how PTES processes personal data, please see our privacy policy. This makes them important in recycling fallen trees back into basic nutrients for the forest ecosystem. Adult males use their jaws to fight rivals and impress potential mates, while females dig deep under dead wood to lay up to 21 precious eggs. The giant stag beetle dwelling on decayed wood is the states biggest beetle, while the black carpet beetle infesting fabrics is the smallest. Were particularly keen for people to record stag beetles in the counties on the border of their known range including Norfolk, Cheshire, Bedfordshire, Somerset, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Shropshire. Stag Beetles are large, as you can see from the picture below. Smith, A.B.T. Tidying of woodlands, parks and gardens removes deadwood habitats which is the larval food source. Stag beetles are just one of 650 beetle species in the UK that depend on dead wood. While they are also called pinching bugs by some, they are quite harmless. I confirm that I am 18 years old or above. We'd love to tell you about our conservation work through our regular newsletter Wildlife World, and also how you can save endangered species through volunteering, taking action or donating. The giant stag beetles highly depend on dead wood for their survival. And in the forest is where stag beetles like to live. The results of the National Stag Beetle Survey 2002 showed that 70% of the stag beetle sightings come from gardens, let's make them a safe haven for stag beetles. These beetles live and reproduce in damp, rotting wood. Changes in weather patterns are also likely to have an impact on stag beetles. As a base, put dirt or store-bought bug bedding in the case for the beetle. Male stag beetles wrestle or fight other males using their enlarged antler-like jaws and the winner mates with the female. A relatively large lucanid beetle of the genus Lucanus, the male has long, curved upper jaws, resembling a sickle. Found in Warminster, Pennsylvania. Their size often varies among individuals. Peoples Trust for Endangered Species, 3 Cloisters House, 8 Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BGRegistered Charity Number 274206 Website designed and developed by WATERS. Stag beetle facts. Stag beetle larvae are occasionally found in sleepers and fencing in gardens, but this is only where the wood is in contact with the soil and is already rotting down. [7], The Lucanidae have (male-only) antlers. Despite their massive size and popularity, their ideal living habitats are still unknown. Also please keep a special eye open if youre visiting the following places: Richmond Park, Wimbledon Common, the New Forest and Epping Forest. A fully-grown stag beetle larva can be up to 11cm long. The benefits of stag beetle habitats near garden areas are astounding. They have gone extinct in Denmark and Latvia, although there has been a successful reintroduction into one site in Denmark in 2013 and a recent one off sighting in Latvia which local experts are investigating further. Once theyve mated, females return to the spot where they emerged if theres enough rotting wood to feed their young and dig down into the soil to lay their eggs. The specific name capreolus is derived from Latin, meaning "roe deer" ( capreolus literally means "little goat"). Twitter Adults cant feed on solid food they rely on the fat reserves built up whilst developing as a larva. Adult beetles like to the warm surfaces of tarmac and pavements where theyre vulnerable to traffic or feet. Stag beetles have a fearsome appearance and sometimes people kill them because they look dangerous. Your comment will be checked and approved shortly. Stag beetles are found in Europe and North America. Stag beetles are in the insect family Lucanidae. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Amazingly, yes they can! J. R. Soc. Although they can fly, female beetles are most often seen walkingaround on the ground. A brief look at a Stag Beetle changing direction. There are 30 different species of stag beetles in the United States. Are there stag beetles in Pennsylvania? They have been found in captivity to make burrows and nest in soil and mulch. Building a log pile in your garden will make sure that there is plenty of dead wood nearby for females to lay their eggs in! The name of this insect is derived from the giant mandibles on the male, which resemble the stags of a deer in the way they curve and branch. Such variation is termed a scaling relationship or static allometry. It is dark reddish brown with smooth, shiny elytra; the femora are orange brown. In Englands New Forest, it was once believed that the stag beetle, dubbed the devils imp, was sent to do some evil to the corn crops. Male stag beetles are known for their oversize mandibles used to wrestle each other for favoured mating sites in a way that parallels the way stags fight over females. Once recovered, they often fly off. Youre most likely to see adults on warm, sunny evenings in May and June. Larvae live in decaying wood of deciduous trees. Advertisements. Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike! This is a really cool insect because they can fight. Stag beetles love dry areas that dont get too much rain, and soft soil for digging. S, Dirckx J, Aerts P. 2015 Cost of flight and the On top of the insect bedding, place dried leaves, logs, and a food dish . Northkill Road north of Shartlesville, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA July 1, 2017 Size: 35 mm Stag beetles, and loads of other mini-beasts, would much prefer that you left rotting wood alone. Specimens that are kept as pets are generally around 5cm (2). Did you know that we have a FREE downloadableMake a bug hotel primary resource? Stag beetle larvae are occasionally found in sleepers and fencing in gardens, but this is only where the wood is in contact with the soil and is already rotting down. These brain-boggling beetles might be famous for their fearsome jaws, but theres much more to them than meets the eye! stag beetle, (family Lucanidae), also called pinching bug, any of some 900 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) in which the mandibles (jaws) are greatly developed in the male and resemble the antlers of a stag. Aesalinae They have gone extinct in Denmark and Latvia, although theres been a successful reintroduction into one site in Denmark in 2013. So, if you are lucky enough to see an adult giant stag beetle, remember they will not hurt you, your pets, or your home. Weve been studying them for nearly 20 years, with the help of the public, and our partner organisations. Most of their life, from 3 to 5 years, is spent as giant beetle grubs in rotting wood where they feed on liquids produced during the decay process. YouTube, People's Trust for Endangered Species, 3 Cloisters House, 8 Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BG, Registered Charity Number: 274206 Site Design: Mike Leach Creative at Waters Branding: Be Colourful. D., 1985; Milne and Milne, 1980) Biogeographic Regions; nearctic. I confirm that I am 18 years old or abovePlease confirm that you are an adult. Predators such as cats, foxes, crows, kestrels tend to strike at the most vulnerable stage in the beetles life cycle, when adults are seeking to mate and lay eggs. Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer. Stag beetle larvae need dead wood to feed on as they grow and develop throughout their long lives underground, so the most important thing you can do to attract stag beetles into your garden is to retain dead wood and tree stumps. We do this through ground-breaking research, practical conservation and education, all with the help of our supporters. People's Trust for Endangered Species, 3 Cloisters House, 8 Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BG Registered Charity Number 274206 Website designed and developed by WATERS. (Image Credit: Roger de Keyzer) This is a purple form but the golden stag beetle's colour ranges from red/golden-red to near-black. Despite their often fearsome appearance, they are not normally aggressive to humans. Look for it in woods, parks and gardens in South East England in summer. Its exoskeleton appears smooth and glossy and has a rich dark red or brown hue to it. The information that you provide will be held by Peoples Trust for Endangered Species. If it is not possible to replace them, the next best thing is to re-bury the larvae in a safe, shady place in your garden with as much of the original rotting wood as possible. Copyright 2023 Clemson UniversityClemson Cooperative Extension | 103 Barre Hall Clemson, SC 29634864-986-4310 | 1-888-656-9988 (SC residents only) | Contact UsHGIC@clemson.edu, SC Fruit and Vegetable Field Report August 2, 2021, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, How to Tell the Difference Between Goldenrod and Ragweed, Centipedegrass Yearly Maintenance Program. For up to six years they look like white grubs, and make their homes in old trees and rotting wood. See the fascinating transformation from caterpillar to butterfly! Triple your gift here. These magnificent beetles are Red listed in many European countries and have undergone a decline across Europe. [1] Some species grow to over 12 centimetres ( 412 inches), but most to about 5 cm (2 in). Scientific name: Lucanus cervus Family name: Lucanidae Classification: Insect Body length: 3.5-7.5cm Diet: Decaying wood and tree sap. For the stag beetle, the price is around 1,000 yen (9.50 dollars) for males and 300 yen for females. Share this page. Once theyve mated, females return to the spotwhere they emerged, if there is enough rotting wood to feed their young, anddig down into the soil to lay their small, round eggs in rotting wood such as log piles, tree stumps and old fence posts. Stag beetles have a shiny black head and thorax (middle section), and chestnut-brown wing cases. Interface 12: 20150222. Stag beetles live in woodland edges, hedgerows, traditional orchards, parks and gardens throughout Europe, including Britain, but not Ireland. Beetle Jelly is one of the best foods available for beetles and the humans that feed them. The list below showcases all Pennsylvania Insects (1,223 Found) currently in the InsectIdentification.org database. Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from HGIC. I have saw one outside my house and me and my friends watched it burrow into the ground by a rotten tree stump as it says in the text. I love the stag beetles! They will wrestle or fight other males using their enlarged antler-like jaws. The largest (giant) stag beetle in South Carolina is Lucanus elaphus.Photo credit: Anton-Borakov, Shutterstock. Make sure your pond has an escape route. "Curious Facts in the History of Insects; Including Spiders and Scorpions, by Frank CowanA Project Gutenberg eBook", "Phylogeny of world stag beetles (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) reveals a Gondwanan origin of Darwin's stag beetle", "Annotated Checklist of the New World Lucanidae", "Biodiversity: section on Lucanidae with a world catalogue and a world bibliography", List of subgroups of the order Coleoptera, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stag_beetle&oldid=1113479691, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2020, Articles with dead external links from January 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from March 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 October 2022, at 17:50. www.ptes.org . Omissions? If you do have to move a stag beetle for its own safety, then please move it as short a distance as possible (into a nearby hedge or plant for example). Newly emerging adults also have to dig their way up through the soil to reachthe surface, therefore areas like the North and South Downs, which are chalky, have veryfew stag beetles. The stag beetle belongs to the family of Lucanidae, consisting of 1200 classes of insects. Hidden underground, the grubs grow big and strong by feeding on decaying (rotting) plant material. [5][6], The oldest known fossil of the group is Juraesalus from the late Middle Jurassic (Callovian) Daohugou Beds of Inner Mongolia, China. They donot survive the winter. You can buy all of these at the store. During these busy summer months, the adult beetles only eat tree sap, and rely on all the nutrients they built up as larvae to help them survive. Go back to the Beetles State Listing. Stag beetles can drown in them. Found in Warminster, Pennsylvania. Help us protect this unique British species by telling us about where they live near you and by making your garden stag beetle friendly. Which Is More Stable Thiophene Or Pyridine. Periods of very cold weather can extend the process. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Pliny the Elder noted that Nigidius called the beetle lucanus after the Italian region of Lucania where they were used as amulets. It is one of seven Lucanid beetle species found in the state. In many species the elaborately branched and toothed mandibles may be as long as the beetle itself. According to a 2017 USDA/Forest Service article*, because of our abundance of thick, moist forests, South Carolina has some of the best habitats in the country for giant stag beetles. Updates? Wow, thanks so much for the facts! The name refers to the resemblance of the mandibles to deer antlers. They only live for a few weeks after they have turned into an adult. Stag beetle mitesArticle from the Suffolk Naturalists Society newsletter, by Colin Hawes. Get uplifting news, exclusive offers, inspiring stories and activities to help you and your family explore and learn. Longhorned beetles, identified by their lengthy antennae, may also bite. Eventually, each stag beetle larva will create a cocoon for itself, that can be as large as an orange. stag beetle, (family Lucanidae), also called pinching bug, any of some 900 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) in which the mandibles (jaws) are greatly developed in the male and resemble the antlers of a stag. In many species the elaborately branched and toothed mandibles may be as long as the beetle itself. The larvae are found in the trunks of old trees, feeding on the inner wood.