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The log pile · Beetles
Stag beetle
Lucanus cervus
Britain's biggest beetle: shiny black and chestnut, the male with enormous antler-like jaws.
- Size
- Males up to 7.5cm long, with their jaws
- Look for it
- May to July
- Where
- Old woods, hedges, parks and gardens in the south of England
My spotter's list
Walks after you, and takes off with a whirr. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the stag beetle
AntlersJaws like antlers
The male's huge jaws are for wrestling other males. He tries to lift his rival and tip him over.
BiteMostly for show
For all their size, the male's jaws give only a weak nip. The female's small ones are stronger.
GrubSix years as a grub
The fat white larva lives in rotting wood underground for up to six years before it becomes a beetle.
AdultA few weeks as a beetle
After all that, the adult lives for only a few weeks in early summer and hardly eats.
FlightA noisy flier
On warm evenings males fly in search of females, upright and clumsy, with a loud hum.
RareRarer than it was
Tidying away dead wood has made it scarce. It is protected by law.
The real thing
Photos of the stag beetle
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
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Out and aboutHow to spot one
Watch the sky above gardens in south London, the Thames valley or the New Forest at dusk in late May and June. Take an adult with you.
Lend a handHow to help
Bury a few logs upright in the soil, like a bundle of pencils. Stag beetle grubs need rotting wood below ground.
Following youLadybird
Who should follow you?
The garden
Meadow and hedgerow
Pond and stream bugs live on their own page: choosing one takes you there.
Pond and stream
The log pile
After dark
Bugs from other parts of the world live on their own pages: choose another.
