Stag beetle
Stag beetle
Invertebrate
One of the largest insects in Europe, known for the male's large jaw 'antlers'.
💡 Fun Facts
- The males use their large antlers to wrestle rival males for mates.
- The larvae can spend up to seven years living inside and eating rotting wood.
- Despite their fierce appearance, adult stag beetles cannot bite hard and mostly drink tree sap.
📅 Through the Year
- Active:May to August
Name Story
Lucanus cervus
means “the stag of Lucania”
What does its name mean?
- Lucanus — from Lucania, a region of southern Italy, where children once wore these beetles as lucky charmsLatin (recorded by Pliny)
- cervus — stag, deerLatin, for the male's antler-like jaws
The male stag beetle wears a huge pair of jaws like a deer's antlers, which he uses to wrestle rival males — so 'cervus', meaning 'stag', fits beautifully. It is Britain's biggest land beetle, and the Romans gave it its name long ago.