Stag beetle
| Stag beetles | |
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| Male Lucanus cervus | |
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| Family: | Lucanidae Latreille, 1804
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not a complete list | |
Stag beetles are a group of about 1,200 species of beetle in the family Lucanidae. Some species grow to 8 cm (3¼ in), but most are about 5 cm (2 in).
The English name is derived from the large and distinctive mandibles found on the males of most species, which resemble the antlers of stags.
A well-known species in much of Europe is Lucanus cervus, referred to in Britain as "the" stag beetle (it is the largest British terrestrial insect). Pliny the Elder noted that Nigidius called the stag beetle lucanus after the Italian region of Lucania where they were used as amulets. The scientific name of Lucanus cervus is this word, plus cervus, deer.
Male stag beetles use their jaws to wrestle each other for favoured mating sites, but despite their often fearsome appearance they are not normally aggressive to humans. Stag beetles are sometimes used in the Chinese sport of insect fighting[citation needed].
Female stag beetles are usually smaller than the males, with mandibles in normal proportion for a beetle.
The larvae feed for several years on rotting wood, growing into grubs which in larger species may be as big as a human finger.
Wikispecies has information related to Lucanidae.
Partial List of Species
Subfamily Aesalinae
- Tribe Aesalini
- Genus Aesalus (Fabricius, 1801)
- Aesalus asiaticus Lewis, 1883
- Aesalus himalayicus Kurosawa, 1985
- Aesalus imanishii Inahara & Ratti, 1991
- Aesalus meridionalis Bartolozzi, 1989
- Aesalus neotropicalis Bates, 1886
- Aesalus saburoi
- Aesalus sawaii Fujita & Ichikawa, 1985
- Aesalus scarabaeoides Panzer, 1793
- Aesalus sichuanensis
- Aesalus smithi Bates, 1889
- Aesalus trogoides Albers, 1883
- Aesalus ulanowskii Ganglbauer, 1886
- Genus Cretaesalus (fossil)
- Genus Echinoaesalus Zelenka, 1993
- Echinoaesalus barriesi (Zelenka, 1993)
- Echinoaesalus hidakai (Araya, 1993)
- Echinoaesalus jaechi (Zelenka,1993)
- Echinoaesalus matsuii (Araya, 1993)
- Echinoaesalus sabahensis (Zelenka, 1994)
- Echinoaesalus schuhi (Zelenka, 1994)
- Echinoaesalus timidus (Krikken, 1975)
- Echinoaesalus yongi (Araya, 1993)
- Genus Lucanobium Howden & Lawrence, 1974
- Lucanobium squamosum Howden & Lawrence, 1974
- Genus Aesalus (Fabricius, 1801)
- Tribe Ceratognathini
- Genus Ceratognathus Westwood, 1838
- Ceratognathus abdominalis Parry, 1870
- Ceratognathus bitumulatus Carter, 1925
- Ceratognathus flabellatus Boileau, 1905
- Ceratognathus frenchi Blackburn, 1897
- Ceratognathus froggatti Blackburn, 1894
- Ceratognathus gilesi Blackburn, 1895
- Ceratognathus macrognathus Boileau, 1905
- Ceratognathus mentiferus Westwood, 1863
- Ceratognathus minutus Lea, 1929
- Ceratognathus niger Westwood, 1838
- Ceratognathus ocularis Carter, 1925
- Ceratognathus rufipennis Westwood, 1872
- Ceratognathus tasmanus Benesh, 1943
- Ceratognathus westwoodi Thomson, 1862
- Genus Hilophyllus Paulsen & Mondaca, 2006
- Hilophyllus argentinensis (Martinez, 1981)
- Hilophyllus martinezi Paulsen & Mondaca, 2006
- Hilophyllus penai (Martinez, 1976)
- Genus Mitophyllus Parry, 1843
- Mitophyllus alboguttatus (Bates, 1867)
- Mitophyllus dispar (Sharp, 1882)
- Mitophyllus foveolatus (Broun, 1880)
- Mitophyllus gibbosus (Broun, 1884)
- Mitophyllus insignis Broun, 1921
- Mitophyllus irroratus Parry, 1842
- Mitophyllus macrocerus (Broun, 1886)
- Mitophyllus parrianus Westwood, 1863
- Mitophyllus reflexus Broun, 1908
- Genus Ceratognathus Westwood, 1838
- Tribe Nicagini
- Genus Nicagus LeConte, 1861
- Nicagus obscurus (LeConte, 1848)
- Nicagus occultus Paulsen & Smith, 2005
- Nicagus japonicus Nagel, 1928
- Genus Holloceratognathus Nikolajev, 1998
- Holloceratognathus cylindricus (Broun, 1895)
- Holloceratognathus helotoides (Thomson, 1862)
- Holloceratognathus passaliformis (Holloway, 1962)
- Genus Nicagus LeConte, 1861
Subfamily Lampriminae
- Genus Dendroblax White, 1846
- Dendroblax earlianus White, 1846
- Genus Homolamprima
- Homolamprima crenulata (MacLeay, 1885)
- Genus Lamprima
- Lamprima adolphinae (Gestro, 1875)
- Lamprima aurata
- Genus Phalacrognathus
- Phalacrognathus muelleri MacLeay, 1885
- Genus Streptocerus Dejean, 1833
- Streptocerus speciosus Fairmaire, 1850
- Genus Dendroblax White, 1846
Subfamily Lucaninae Latreille, 1804
- Tribe Aegini
- Tribe Allotopini
- Genus Allotopus
- Allotopus moellenkampi (Fruhstorfer, 1894)
- Allotopus rosenbergi (Vollenhoven, 1872)
- Genus Mesotopus
- Genus Allotopus
- Tribe Chiasognathini
- Genus Cacostomus
- Cacostomus floralis (Lea, 1914)
- Cacostomus squamosus Newman, 1840
- Cacostomus subvittata (Moore, 1994)
- Genus Casignetus
- Genus Chiasognathus Stephens, 1831
- Chiasognathus beneshi Lacroix, 1978
- Chiasognathus granti Stephens, 1831
- Chiasognathus jousselini Reiche, 1850
- Chiasognathus latreillei Solier, 1851
- Chiasognathus mniszechii Kiesche 1919
- Genus Protognathinus
- Genus Sphaenognathus
- Genus Cacostomus
- Tribe Cladognathini
- Genus Aphanognathus
- Aphanognathus laterotarsoides (Houlbert, 1915)
- Genus Capreolucanus
- Capreolucanus sicardi Didier, 1928
- Genus Cladophyllus
- Genus Eligmodontus
- Genus Gonometopus
- Genus Macrodorcas Motschulsky, 1862
- Macrodorcas adachii
- Macrodorcas amamiana
- Macrodorcas barbata
- Macrodorcas bisignata
- Macrodorcas bomansi
- Macrodorcas davidi
- Macrodorcas dierli
- Macrodorcas elsiledis
- Macrodorcas fulvonotata
- Macrodorcas humilis
- Macrodorcas intricata
- Macrodorcas kobayashii
- Macrodorcas koyamai
- Macrodorcas melliana
- Macrodorcas mochizukii
- Macrodorcas moellenkampi
- Macrodorcas montivaga
- Macrodorcas pieli
- Macrodorcas pseudaxis
- Macrodorcas recta Motschulsky, 1858
- Macrodorcas ruficrus
- Macrodorcas songiana
- Macrodorcas striatipennis Motschulsky, 1862
- Macrodorcas ursulae
- Macrodorcas vernicata
- Macrodorcas yaeyamaensis
- Genus Palaeognathus
- Genus Prismognathus Motschulsky, 1860
- Prismognathus alessandrae
- Prismognathus angularis C._O._Waterhouse, 1874
- Prismognathus branczicki
- Prismognathus cheni
- Prismognathus dauricus Motschulsky, 1860
- Prismognathus davidis
- Prismognathus delislei
- Prismognathus formosanus
- Prismognathus klapperichi
- Prismognathus lucidus
- Prismognathus morimotoi
- Prismognathus nigerrimus
- Prismognathus nigricolor
- Prismognathus piluensis
- Prismognathus platycephalus
- Prismognathus ruficephalus
- Prismognathus sinensis
- Prismognathus subnitens
- Prismognathus tokui
- Genus Prosopocoilus Westwood, 1845
- Genus Pseudorhaetus
- Genus Rhaetulus
- Genus Rhaetus
- Rhaetus westwoodi (Parry, 1862)
- Genus Tetrarthrius
- Genus Weinreichius
- Weinreichius perroti Lacroix, 1978
- Genus Aphanognathus
- Tribe Colophonini
- Genus Colophon
- Tribe Cyclommatini
- Genus Cyclommatus Parry, 1863
- Tribe Dendeziini
- Genus Dendezia
- Genus Oonotus Parry, 1864
- Genus Xiphodontus
- Tribe Dorcini
- Genus Bartolozziolucanus
- Genus Cantharolethrus
- Genus Cyclommatus
- Genus Dorcasoides
- Genus Dorcus MacLeay, 1819
- Dorcus akahorii
- Dorcus alcides
- Dorcus alexisi
- Dorcus amamianus
- Dorcus antaeus
- Dorcus anteus
- Dorcus arfakianus
- Dorcus binodulosus
- Dorcus brevis
- Dorcus bucephalus
- Dorcus carinulatus
- Dorcus consentaneus
- Dorcus curvidens
- Dorcus cylindricus
- Dorcus davidis
- Dorcus emikoae
- Dorcus eurycephalus
- Dorcus formosanus
- Dorcus gracilicornis
- Dorcus garndis
- Dorcus hopei
- Dorcus hyperion
- Dorcus japonicus
- Dorcus kyanrauensis
- Dorcus metacostatus
- Dorcus miwai
- Dorcus musimon
- Dorcus parallelus
- Dorcus parallelipipedus Linnaeus, 1758
- Dorcus parryi
- Dorcus parvulus
- Dorcus peyronis
- Dorcus prochazkai
- Dorcus ratiocinativus
- Dorcus rectus
- Dorcus reichei
- Dorcus rudis
- Dorcus sawaii
- Dorcus schenklingi
- Dorcus sewertzowi
- Dorcus suturalis
- Dorcus taiwanicus
- Dorcus tanakai
- Dorcus taurus
- Dorcus tenuecostatus
- Dorcus titanus
- Dorcus tormosanus
- Dorcus ursulus
- Dorcus vavrai
- Dorcus velutinus
- Dorcus vicinus
- Dorcus yamadai
- Genus Homoderus
- Genus Leptinopterus
- Genus Prosopocoilus
- Genus Rhaetulus
- Genus Serrognathus
- Genus Pycnosiphorus
- Genus Sclerostomus
- Tribe Figulini
- Genus Cardanus
- Genus Dinonigidius
- Genus Figulus
- Genus Ganelius
- Genus Nigidionus
- Genus Nigidius
- Genus Novonigidius
- Genus Penichrolucanus
- Tribe Lucanini
- Tribe Odontolabini
- Tribe Platycerini
- Genus Platyceroides Benesh, 1946
- Genus Platyceropsis Benesh, 1946
- Platyceropsis keeni (Casey, 1895)
- Genus Platycerus Geoffroy, 1762
Subfamily Syndesinae
- Tribe Ceruchini
- Genus Ceruchus MacLeay, 1819
- Ceruchus piceus (Weber, 1801)
- Ceruchus punctatus LeConte, 1869
- Ceruchus striatus LeConte, 1859
- Genus Ceruchus MacLeay, 1819
- Tribe Sinodendronini
- Genus Sinodendron Hellwig in Schneider, 1792
- Sinodendron cylindricum (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Sinodendron rugosum Mannerheim, 1843
- Genus Sinodendron Hellwig in Schneider, 1792
- Tribe Syndesini
- Genus Psilodon Perty, 1830
- Psilodon aequinoctiale (Buquet, 1840)
- Psilodon gilberti Boucher, 1993
- Psilodon schuberti Perty, 1830
- Psilodon seguyi (Didier, 1929)
- Psilodon xerophilicum Martinez & Reyes-Castillo, 1985
- Genus Syndesus MacLeay, 1819
- Syndesus cancellatus Montrouzier, 1860
- Syndesus cornutus (Fabricius, 1801)
- Syndesus macleayi Boileau, 1905
- Genus Psilodon Perty, 1830
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External links
- Stag beetle helpline Research site containing lots of information on the stag beetle as well as a monitoring form and information on current conservation schemes.
- M.J. Paulsen. "Annotated Checklist of the New World Lucanidae". Checklist of New World stag beetles with links to pages with additional information and images.
- Taiwanese picture gallery
- Toma Libich. "Goliathus.com: gallery of Lucanidae".
- "Gallery of Lucanidae".
- J M Maes. "Biodiversity: section on Lucanidae with a world catalogue and a world bibliography".
- YouTube. "Male Stag Beetle on finger".