Stag Beetles Uncovered: Understanding Their Behavior and Habitat

In this article, we talk about everything related to the Stage Beetle

There are only a few insects in this world that have jaws that are almost as big as their bodies. One of them is the stag beetle.

These insects have massive mandibles that look similar to the antlers of an adult stag (in proportion to their body size)

Stag beetles love to show off their big and strong mandibles to assert dominance and attract females.

 

 

Yes, they look sturdy and highly intimidating. But is there a need to be scared of these insects? The answer is no.

There are a lot of fascinating things that we don’t know about these insects, and this article will help uncover them. Time to put on your reading glasses.

What Are Stag Beetles?

Stag beetles are known for their long and strong jaws that resemble the antlers of a stag. If you compare, the male adult beetles have bigger jaws than the female beetles.

Mostly these beetles have a glossy black body with a pair of chestnut brown colored wings.

The males show an average growth of 1.37-2.95 inches in length, and the females usually grow from 1.18-1.96 inches.

You can often spot the males indulged in brawls using their mandibles to find mates. Females, on the other hand, are mostly seen near the ground, searching for suitable spots to lay eggs.

 

 

Stag Beetle Types

Stag beetle populations are widely scattered throughout the world. You will be surprised to know that there are around 1,200 stag beetle species worldwide. Mentioned below are some details about a few of them.

Giant Stag Beetle

The giant stag beetle is considered to be one of the largest beetles that live in dead wood. These beetles show an average body size of around 2.5 inches in length.

Despite their massive size and popularity, their ideal living habitats are still unknown. The giant stag beetles highly depend on dead wood for their survival.

Also, the giant stag beetle larvae are mainly found in wet logs.

 

 

Cottonwood Stag Beetle

Cottonwood stag beetles, also known as Lucanus mazama, usually prefer to stay in areas with loose soil and high temperatures.

Similar to most stag beetles, they too have shiny black bodies. They generally grow from 1.02-1.14 inches in length.

A riparian area with plenty of old cottonwood trees is a suitable environment for these insects to live and grow.

 

 

Golden Stag Beetle

Unlike most of its relatives in the stag beetle family, the golden stag beetle is not glossy black.

These beetles have shiny bodies with a touch of golden hue and measure between 0.59 to 0.98 inches in length.

The adult beetles are mostly golden green, golden yellow, and dull brown in color. Some Golden female stag beetles can also be blue and blue-green.

Such beetles are native to Australia and can be abundantly found in different regions of Tasmania, Victoria, and South-East Australia.

 

 

Rainbow Stag Beetle

Rainbow stag beetles (Phalacrognathus Muelleri) are native to the forest areas of Queensland, Australia.

Similar to the golden stag beetles, they, too, have colorful bodies that resemble the flashing colors of a rainbow.

Like most stag beetles, they have two huge mandibles which differ in size according to the gender of the insect.

The males have larger jaws compared to the females. Also, if you look closely, you will notice that the females have longitudinal marks on the thorax.

 

 

Stag Beetle Vs. Rhino Beetle: How To Differentiate?

The rhino beetle is another insect that is known for its giant jaws. Similar to stag beetle weaponry, they use them to fight to win territories and mating rights.

Both these insects might look alike at first glance, but if you look closely, you will notice that the Rhino beetles have mandibles that jut forward from their head like a Rhino.

While the stag beetles horns are placed horizontally.

The Rhino beetles are also bigger and a little heavier than the stag beetles.

What Does A Stag Beetle Eat?

Adult stag beetles do not consume solid food; the females drink sweet juices obtained from decomposing fruits, tree saps, vegetables, plants, etc.

Males rely on the fat reserves built during the larval stage.

During this stage, the larvae actively consume dead and decaying matter like wood to store fats in the body, so they can survive well as adults.

 

 

Where Do Stag Beetles Live?

These species of beetles mostly rely on dead and decaying wood to fulfill their diets; therefore, woodlands can be considered their natural habitat.

Apart from being near some log piles, they also like to be around traditional orchards, parks, and gardens (with dead wood around).

Also, they prefer to be in warmer regions where the larvae can grow rather than in shaded canopies of dense forests.

Life Cycle of A Stag Beetle

The female stag beetles can lay up to 24 eggs at once. It all starts when the males get attracted by the female pheromones, and often they indulge in fights to win mating rights.

The female searches for an underground spot near rotting wood to lay the eggs. These eggs are tiny and take around 30 days to hatch.

When the larvae emerge, they are white in color, but after a while, it starts developing a unique bright orange color.

As soon s it emerges, they transfer to the nearest deadwood pile, where they feed for almost six years before emerging as adults.

 

 

The primary purpose of continuously eating is to have enough fats stored in the body so they can use them as adults to survive.

Right before moving into the final stages of being a larva, they start building a cocoon around themselves.

This is usually made of chewed wood and mud. After completely covering itself in this shell, they start pupating.

From this stage, you can start distinguishing between the males and the females. The males will slightly pierce out their mandibles from the pupa.

It takes around 60 days for the pupation period to complete. By the summer, a fully developed adult stag beetle emerges from the ground and goes on to start this cycle again.

Mating Rituals of Stage Beetles

As mentioned in the above section, the males are attracted to the female pheromones. Once they locate the female, try to win her over by putting on a display of their antlers.

They open their jaws wide and walk slowly to show off their features and to impress the female.

If there is more than one male interested in the same female, the score is settled through a fight.

 

 

Here both parties wrestle with each other using the mandibles.

Whoever can turn the opponent on its back wins the fight and earns the mating right. The loser has to depart and try his luck somewhere else.

The brawls are not too dangerous, with injuries being unlikely. Also, the males often prefer to mate with multiple females.

How Long Do Stag Beetles Live?

It takes around 30 days for the larva to emerge from eggs. From there, they take almost six years to come out as adult stag beetles. The adults can only live for a few weeks and spend most of their time mating and reproducing.

Do Stag Beetles Bite?

Stag beetles are not aggressive and dangerous, but you can’t ignore the fact that these insects have huge and strong mandibles that can be used for biting.

Therefore you must not mishandle these insects as they will think that you are trying to attack them and bite back in defense.

Since they have strong chewing muscles, the bites can be quite painful.

 

 

Are They Poisonous/Venomous?

Stag beetles have a sturdy and intimidating appearance, but in reality, they are not harmful to humans.

Yes, they can deliver painful bites, but these bites are not venomous and won’t cause any fatal injury or illness. They will not attack if you don’t disturb them.

Are They Harmful to Humans and Pets?

Stag beetles are not harmful to humans if they are not constantly threatened and disturbed.

If you approach these insects recklessly, they will use their strong jaws to bite, which is very painful.

Can They Come Inside Homes?

Stag beetles larvae usually stay underground near dead and decaying wood.

There is very little chance of them entering your homes as they prefer to be around the food source that is dead and decaying matter.

 

 

What Are Stag Beetles Attracted To?

Stag beetles are attracted to warm regions with loose soil, where they can lay eggs.

They also like to be around places that have plenty of sources to get dead and decaying matter like rotting wood.

Sometimes adults are also attracted to lights at night.

How To Get Rid of Stag Beetles?

These beetles might sound fascinating but having them around your home and garden is a little too much.

To get rid of these insects, you must ensure that you remove all the foliage in your garden every day.

Make sure that you remove all dead and rotting pieces of wood from the garden, as they are prime locations for the stag beetles to live.

If you come across a few near your house, catch them using safety gloves, and drop them in soapy water to exterminate them.

 

Interesting Facts About Stag Beetles

Apart from the things mentioned in the sections above, there are a few more notable things about stag beetles that are highly interesting. Here are a few of them:

1. Stag beetles are also found in the UK, and the European stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) is considered one of the largest beetles in the entire country. They can grow up to 2.95 inches in length. This is almost equal to the size of an adult human thumb.
2. The size and strength of an adult stag beetle are determined by the amount of dead and rotting wood these insects consume as larvae. Therefore, the females need to lay eggs near spots with an abundance of food.
3. The fights between the males to earn mating rights highly depend on the size of the mandibles. Whoever has larger jaws will most probably win the battle. If both opponents are evenly matched in terms of size, it can take several minutes or even hours for a brawl to end.
4. In the UK, you will find these beetles in southeast England. They are common along the regions of Severn valley and the southwest coast. You will also spot them near the southern and central regions of Europe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrap Up

Although stag beetles are found in large numbers worldwide, there is a lot that we don’t know about these insects.

These insects can live up to 7 years and spend most of their lives as larvae consuming dead wood. They are extremely fierce when it comes to mating.

The males often brawl to win mating rights. Despite all this, these insects are not at all harmful to humans and pets.

 

 

Yes, they can deliver painful bites but only when they feel threatened. The stag beetles are not at all aggressive towards humans.

We hope the article gave you an overall idea of what these insects are. Thank you for taking the time to read the article.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Stag Beetle	Firefly