| Stag beetle | |
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| A male specimen ofLamprima aurata, otherwise known as thegolden stag beetle | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Scarabaeiformia |
| Superfamily: | Scarabaeoidea |
| Family: | Lucanidae Latreille, 1804 |
| Subfamilies | |
Stag beetles comprise the familyLucanidae. It has about 1,200 species ofbeetles in four subfamilies.[1] Some species grow to over 12 centimetres (4+1⁄2 inches), but most to about 5 cm (2 in).
TheEnglish name is derived from the large and distinctivemandibles found on the males of most species, which resemble theantlers ofstags.
A well-known species in much ofEurope isLucanus cervus, referred to in some European countries (including theUnited Kingdom) asthe stag beetle; it is the largest terrestrial insect in Europe.Pliny the Elder noted thatNigidius called the beetlelucanus after the Italian region ofLucania where they were used as amulets. The scientific name ofLucanus cervus addscervus,deer.
Male stag beetles are known for their oversize mandibles used to wrestle each other for favoured mating sites in a way thatparallels the waystags fight over females. Fights may also be over food, such as tree sap and decaying fruits. Despite their often fearsome appearance, they are not normally aggressive to humans. During a battle between the two males, the main objective is to dislodge its opponent's tarsal claws with its mandible, thus disrupting their balance. Because its mandibles are capable of exceeding its own body size, stag beetles are generally inefficient runners and are very slow, and typically feel the need to fly from one location to another.[2]
Female stag beetles are usually smaller than the males, with smaller mandibles that are much more powerful than the males'.[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.
Thelarvae feed for several years on rotting wood, growing through three larval stages until eventually pupating inside a pupal cell constructed from surrounding wood pieces and soil particles. In the final larval stage, "L3", the surviving grubs of larger species, such asProsopocoilus giraffa, may be the size of a human finger.
In England’s New Forest, it was once believed that the stag beetle, dubbed the "devil's imp", was sent to do some evil to the corn crops. The superstition led to stoning the insects on sight, as observed by a writer in the Notes and Queries.[4] Along withrhinoceros beetles, stag beetles are often bought as pets inSouth Korea andJapan.[5][6]
The oldest known fossil of the group isJuraesalus from the late Middle Jurassic (Callovian)Daohugou Beds of Inner Mongolia, China. While initially interpreted as a member of Aesalinae, it was later interpreted to be a basal member of the family.[7]Litholamprima, the only genus in the subfamily Litholampriminae, is known from the Lower Cretaceous ofYixian Formation, China.[8]
The Lucanidae males have large antlers. Their size often varies among individuals. Such variation is termed a scaling relationship or staticallometry. Environmental conditions and genetic factors affect antler size.[9]
Data related toLucanidae at Wikispecies
Media related toLucanidae at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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