Stag beetles are a surprisingly varied bunch, despite all of them having some common qualities. Read on about the main stag beetle types around the world.
Stag beetles (Lucanus Cervus) are a big family of large beetles known for their huge mandibles. Their mandibles look like the antlers of a stag, which is where they get their names from.
Most varieties of stag beetles usually look the same and have similar traits and features
However, since they are such a big group of insects, there are a lot of minute differences that we can see among the family members.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the different types of stag beetles to understand these differences better.
How Many Types of Stag Beetles Are There?
There are around 1,200 different types of stag beetles scattered worldwide. They all differ in their ability to bite, sizes, colors, and habits.
Most of these beetles are found in hedgerows, gardens, parks, and woodlands. While they are quite common in the US, they are also found in Europe, Australia, and Asia.
Listed below are a few of the most common types of stag beetles seen in different parts of the world.
Common Stag Beetle
Common stag beetles are one of the largest beetles in the family. These insects are also called pinching bugs.
Like all other stag beetle species, the males are equipped with a pair of strong mandibles.
However, these mandibles are comparatively smaller than the others in the family. They have a reddish brown-colored body which gives them a tough appearance.
Adult stag beetles can show an average growth of 0.86-1.57 inches in length.
They love to be around decaying deadwood as the larvae mainly consume the white rot from these dead log piles.
Giant Stag Beetle
Giant stag beetles are one of the largest beetles in the US. Adult beetles are usually found in the deciduous forest during summer.
They also have huge mandibles and can grow up to 2.5 inches in length (including the length of the mandibles).
The male beetle is comparatively bigger than the female stag beetle. You will mostly find the males wrestling each other with the mandibles to earn mating rights.
The females, on the other hand, are in constant search of spots to lay eggs. Cracks of decaying wood are a perfect spot for laying eggs.
Golden Stag Beetle
Golden stag beetles are known for their glistening, golden-colored oval bodies. They show an average growth of 0.59-0.98 inches in length.
It is the adult males that are usually metallic golden in color, while the females can be metallic blue, green, or dull brown.
Despite the different shades, you will always find a touch of glistening golden hue on them.
These beetles are native to Australia, and you can find them in the dry sclerophyll forests of Eastern Australia and Tasmania.
Rainbow Stag Beetle
Like the golden stag beetles, rainbow beetles are also known for their shiny bodies that flash the colors of the rainbow. You may find them in shiny red, green, and blue colors.
These insects are one of the most beautiful beetles in the world and are highly in demand as pets.
Rainbow beetles were endemic to the rainforests of Queensland, Australia.
But later, beetle breeders in Japan started breeding them in their country, and now, a significant population is available in that country as well.
They also have a pair of wings, but they barely use them. Male rainbow stag beetles can grow from 0.94 to 2.76 inches in length.
Female beetles are comparatively smaller and are usually 0.91 to 1.81 inches in length.
Unlike most of the stag beetle species, they do not have strong chewing muscles. Hence the bites are not too painful.
Cottonwood Stag Beetle
The cottonwood stag beetle prefers to be around areas with loose soil and high temperatures. They are mostly seen dwelling around riparian areas and old cottonwood trees.
Cottonwood stag beetles can grow from 1.02 to 1.14 inches in length and have glossy back-colored bodies.
You can find them in different regions of Southern Asia, Australia, and the US.
The beetle larvae actively consume tree sap and white rot from dead logs, while the adults mostly rely on the fat storage developed during the larval stage to survive.
Ceruchus piceus
This is one of the unique members of the stag beetle family. Unlike the others on the list, Ceruchus Piceus are quite small in size.
They are so tiny that people might consider them to be ground beetles are first glance.
However, if you look closely, they have elbow-shaped antennae different from the ground beetles.
These beetles show an average growth of a mere 0.31-0.6 inches in length.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest species of stag beetle?
The giraffe stag beetle is the largest species of stag beetle in the world. These beetles can easily grow up to 2.5 inches in length and have strong and muscular jaws.
They are mostly found in India, Indonesia, and other Asian countries. They prefer to live near logs of dead deciduous trees.
How do you identify a stag beetle?
Stag beetles can be easily identified by the huge mandibles that are almost as big as their bodies. These mandibles resemble the antlers of a stag.
This is one of the main reasons why they are called stag beetles in the first place. Also, you should know that males have larger mandibles than females.
Can you touch a stag beetle?
Yes, you can touch a stag beetle, but you must be careful. These insects have strong jaws and chewing muscles.
They can inflict excruciating pain through their bites. To avoid getting bit, it is good to wear safety gloves while touching or picking these beetles up.
Are stag beetles harmful?
Stag beetles can bite and cause problems like bleeding, irritation, redness, and swelling, but they rarely attack humans.
These insects are non-aggressive and are also non-poisonous in nature. Yes, the bites will be painful, but they won’t cause fatal damage.
Wrap Up
Stag beetles are a big family of insects. While most of them have similar characteristics and features, many differ in certain aspects.
We hope that the information provided in this article to identify different types of stag beetles will help you differentiate between them.
Thank you for reading the piece.
Reader Emails
Stag beetles are found all across the world, and their unique characteristics make them different from each other.
Several of our readers have shared pics of these beetles in our communications, some of which you may find in the emails below. Please do go through!
Letter 1 – Stag Beetle
Hi,
I’ve pored over your 19 pages of beetles, (with many pauses for distraction by fascinating photos & letters) But haven’t been able to identify this big shiny smooth black beetle. The closest match seemed to be a Bess Beetle, but the proportions don’t seem right. and ours don’t have the lines running along the back. The photo was taken at night, with a flash. Sorry it lacks detail. They’re very glossy black, we see them here at our house in Minneapolis on June / July nights when they visit our front door screen (Under a porch light) some times 2 or 3 of them at a time. They are slow moving, they rise up into an aggressive posture when disturbed. One time I found one with its feet up floating in a bowl of water, not moving. I brought it inside and left it in a tray on the counter and after 3-4-days of "Death" it came out of whatever suspended state it was in and began to walk around. We decided we like them better outside than in! Thanks for your help!
Dave Ahl
Hi Dave,
We admire anyone who will pour over all nineteen of our beetle pages in an effort to identify a mysterious visitor befor writing to us. This is a female Ox beetle in the tribe Oryctini. We are not certain if it is in the genus Xyloryctes or the genus Strategus. Perhaps Eric Eaton can provide the answser for us.
Daniel:
The image is of a stag beetle, Lucanus placidus. In your defense, that is one awkward angle to make any kind of identification from! The entire head of the animal is virtually undefined. It took me a bit to see that the antennae were ‘wrong’ for a scarab….More images and information can be found at Bugguide (or I would not have been able to reach a proper conclusion myself!). One other clue was the behavior described: “rearing up” is classic for stag beetles, almost unheard of in scarabs.
Eric
Letter 2 – Stag Beetle: Saved from Drowning
Letter 3 – Stag Beetle
Letter 4 – Stag Beetle
After searching the internet for hours trying to identify my beetle, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s a Stag Beetle, but now I’m wondering if it’s a placidus or a capreolus. I know the capreolus has honey colored femurs, which I thought was the case in my first photo, but when I turned one of the bugs over, it clearly has dark legs from top to bottom. Could you let me know exactly which type of Stag I have here? Also, they live in my rock garden, will they damage my plants?
Rae Ann
Hi Rae Ann
The two species you mentioned are difficult to tell apart, but we thought Eric Eaton might be of assistance. Here is his response: I don’t know the species well enough to say, but I do know that Pseudolucanus has now been lumped into the genus Lucanus. Genus should be plenty. I’d refer the person somewhere else if they just "have to" know the species:-) Larvae live in decaying wood.” So they will not damage your plants.
Letter 5 – Stag Beetle
Letter 6 – Stag Beetle
Letter 7 – Stag Beetle
Letter 8 – Stag Beetle
Letter 9 – Stag Beetle
Letter 10 – Stag Beetle
Letter 11 – Stag Beetle
I might be off base here bugman but it looks like a postal code to me. It came up as a post code in England.
Thanks Devin. A wrote back with the location Hampton Wick, UK.
I was bit tonight by a black looking, hard shell bug with pitchers on the front of its head. The little stinker was in my pajama shorts. He had a good hold on me and I almost didn’t get him loose. He look like the picture of the stag beatle. I tried to mash him with my shoe and he wouldn’t die so I picked him up with Kleenex and flushed him down the toilet. Stag Beatles are poison are they? It itches where he bit me. Last night I didn’t feel anything bite me but I ached all over like I had the flu or something but I’m better today and now this hapoened. The place where he punched me smarts. I hope he is happy. I love I. Central Georgia.