Deadwood
Guides
Platycerus
Platycerus is a genus of small stag beetles in the family Lucanidae, comprising over 50 species distributed across deciduous forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Members are saproxylic, developing in deadwood of cool, temperate broadleaf forests. Adults are elusive with short flight periods and cryptic habits, making them generally uncommon and locally rare in many regions.
Thymalidae
Thymalidae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Cleroidea, recently elevated from subfamily status within Trogossitidae based on molecular phylogenetic studies. The family comprises two subfamilies with markedly different distributions and ecologies: Decamerinae, found in Central and South America and associated with flowers, and Thymalinae, containing only the genus Thymalus, which has a Holarctic and Oriental distribution and is associated with tree bark and deadwood. In Europe, Thymalus limbatus is the sole representative, restricted to natural forests with large deadwood accumulations.
Tragosoma
Tragosoma is a genus of large saproxylic longhorn beetles in the subfamily Prioninae, distributed across the Holarctic region. The genus includes approximately six described species, with Tragosoma depsarium being the most widely studied and the type species. These beetles are obligate deadwood specialists whose larvae develop in the sapwood of conifers, particularly pines. Adults are notable for their robust, somewhat flattened bodies and relatively short antennae compared to other cerambycids. Several species are of conservation concern due to their dependence on specific deadwood microhabitats threatened by modern forestry practices.