Stag-beetle
Guides
Apterocyclus honoluluensis
Kauai Flightless Stag Beetle
Apterocyclus honoluluensis, the Kauai flightless stag beetle, is a flightless stag beetle endemic to the Hawaiian island of Kauai. It is the smallest and most commonly encountered species in its genus, with adults measuring 14–17 mm, rarely reaching 21 mm. The species has declined due to predation by introduced mice and habitat loss, and was considered for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1994 but was declined due to insufficient data.
Apterocyclus munroi
Apterocyclus munroi is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. The species was described from four specimens collected on Kauai, Hawaii in 1897. No confirmed observations have been made since the original collection, and the species is considered possibly extinct. It belongs to a genus of flightless stag beetles endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Apterocyclus palmatus
Apterocyclus palmatus is a species of stag beetle endemic to the island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. It was originally described in 1922 as a subspecies of Apterocyclus honoluluensis, but is now recognized as a distinct species. The species is known from only five specimens collected in 1919 at 4,000 feet elevation. No specimens have been found in recent decades, and the species may be extinct.
Ceruchus piceus
Red-rot Decay Stag Beetle
Ceruchus piceus is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, commonly known as the Red-rot Decay Stag Beetle. It is found in North America, with records from eastern Canada and the north-central United States. The species is associated with decaying wood habitats.
Lucaninae
stag beetles
Lucaninae is the largest subfamily of stag beetles (Lucanidae), characterized by distinctive morphological features including partially to completely divided eyes, geniculate antennae, and separated coxae. The group exhibits considerable diversity across multiple continents, with fossil records extending to the Early Cretaceous. Several genera within this subfamily display specialized ecological associations, including myrmecophily and wood-decay habitat specialization.
Lucanus capreolus
reddish-brown stag beetle, pinching beetle
Lucanus capreolus is a large stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, native to eastern North America. Males possess elongated, curved mandibles resembling sickles or deer antlers, which they use in combat with other males at breeding sites. The species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism, with males larger and more dramatically mandibled than females. Larvae develop in decaying wood of deciduous trees, taking approximately two years to mature.
Lucanus placidus
Smooth Stag Beetle
Lucanus placidus is a species of stag beetle described by Thomas Say in 1825. It is commonly known as the Smooth Stag Beetle. The species occurs across much of eastern and central North America, with records extending from Ontario south to Alabama and west to New Mexico and Oregon. It is one of the more frequently observed Lucanus species in North America based on citizen science records.
Nicagus obscurus
Nicagus obscurus is a small stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. Adults are found under bark of dead hardwoods, particularly oak. Larvae develop in rotten wood of hardwood logs and stumps, and have been specifically recorded from grooves of aspen driftwood. Adults emerge in August. The species occurs across eastern North America from Canada to the southeastern United States.
Nicagus occultus
Nicagus occultus is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, described in 2005 by Paulsen and Smith. It belongs to the subfamily Aesalinae, a group of small to medium-sized stag beetles often associated with decaying wood. The species is known from Texas, USA, and represents a relatively recent addition to the described North American lucanid fauna.
Platyceroides
Platyceroides is a genus of stag beetles (family Lucanidae) established by Benesh in 1946. The genus contains approximately 16 described species. It belongs to the tribe Platyceroidini within the subfamily Lucaninae.
Platyceroides aeneus
Platyceroides aeneus is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, first described by Van Dyke in 1928. The species is endemic to the Pacific Northwest of North America. It belongs to a genus of small stag beetles characterized by reduced mandibles compared to their larger relatives.
Platyceroides californicus
Platyceroides californicus is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, endemic to California. It is a small to medium-sized beetle with reduced mandibles compared to many lucanids. The genus Platyceroides is distinguished from the similar Platycerus by antennal club structure and male genitalia morphology. Very few observations exist for this species, and its biology remains poorly documented.
Platyceroides infernus
Platyceroides infernus is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, described from California in 2017. It belongs to a genus of small to medium-sized stag beetles characterized by reduced mandibles in males compared to other lucanid genera. The species epithet "infernus" (Latin for "hell") references its type locality in Death Valley, California. Like other Lucanidae, adults are nocturnal and larvae develop in decaying wood.
Platyceroides keeni
Keen's Stag Beetle
Platyceroides keeni is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, found in western North America from British Columbia to California. It is one of the smaller members of its genus and is associated with forested habitats. Adult beetles are active during warmer months, with larvae developing in decaying wood.
Platyceroides laticollis
Platyceroides laticollis is a species of stag beetle described by Casey in 1914. It belongs to the family Lucanidae, a group characterized by enlarged mandibles in males. The species has been documented in western North America, specifically in California and Oregon. Like other members of its genus, it is likely associated with decaying wood habitats.
Platyceroides latus
Platyceroides latus is a stag beetle species described by Fall in 1901. It belongs to the family Lucanidae, a group characterized by enlarged mandibles in males. The species is known from a limited number of observations, with records concentrated in California and Nevada. Its biology remains poorly documented.
Platyceroides opacus
Platyceroides opacus is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is known from California in western North America. The genus Platyceroides contains small to medium-sized stag beetles with reduced mandibles compared to many other lucanids.
Platyceroides viriditinctus
Platyceroides viriditinctus is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, described by Benesh in 1942. It is known from the Pacific Northwest region of North America, with confirmed records from Oregon and Washington. Like other members of the genus Platyceroides, it belongs to a group of small stag beetles that are less well-studied than their larger relatives in the genus Lucanus.
Platyceroidini
Platyceroidini is a tribe of stag beetles (Lucanidae) established by Paulsen & Hawks in 2008. It belongs to the subfamily Lucaninae, the largest subfamily within the stag beetle family. The tribe was erected to accommodate certain genera previously placed elsewhere within Lucaninae, reflecting phylogenetic revisions based on morphological and molecular data. As a relatively recently defined taxon, its circumscription and constituent genera reflect modern systematic approaches to lucanid classification.
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.
Platycerus depressus
Aspen stag beetle (eastern)
Platycerus depressus is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, described by Joseph LeConte in 1850. It is one of the smaller stag beetles in North America and is associated with aspen and other deciduous trees. The species is widely distributed across boreal and temperate regions of Canada and the northern United States. It is commonly known as the eastern aspen stag beetle due to its association with Populus tremuloides and related host trees.
Platycerus oregonensis
Oregon Stag Beetle
Platycerus oregonensis is a species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, first described by John O. Westwood in 1844. It is commonly known as the Oregon Stag Beetle. The species belongs to the subfamily Lucaninae and is part of the genus Platycerus, which contains small to medium-sized stag beetles with distinctive mandible morphology.
Platycerus quercus
Oak Stag Beetle
Platycerus quercus is a small stag beetle in the family Lucanidae, commonly known as the Oak Stag Beetle. It is distinguished from other North American stag beetles by its relatively modest size and reduced mandibles in males. The species is widely distributed across eastern and central North America, with associations to oak-dominated forests. Both adults and larvae are linked to decaying wood habitats.
Sinodendron
Sinodendron is a genus of stag beetles in the family Lucanidae. The genus comprises three recognized species: S. cylindricum, S. persicum, and S. rugosum. Species are distributed across Europe, Western Asia, and North America. Members are saproxylic wood-boring beetles associated with decaying wood.
Sinodendron rugosum
Rugose Stag Beetle
Sinodendron rugosum, the rugose stag beetle, is a small stag beetle and the only member of its genus in western North America. Adults are black, 11–18 mm in length, with a distinctively pitted, rough-textured exoskeleton. Males possess a short median horn on the head, while females lack this structure or have only a small tubercle. The species develops in decaying wood of broadleaf trees and is active as an adult from spring through early summer.