Stag Beetle
Summary: Stag beetles are relatively harmless and are easy to handle. The stag beetle's gigantic jaws are their most distinguishing characteristic.
No, it is not called the Stag beetle because it spends its Saturday nights alone, but rather because of the antlers found on their heads. Male Stag beetles use these antlers to fight other males when attractive female stag beetles are nearby. Their antlers are relatively harmless. However, the female stag beetles' antlers are considerably smaller, but sharper and therefore can make predators feel a sharp prick. You should be grateful that your mother-in-law does not have this capability.
Two types of stag beetles are the common stag beetle, also known as the pinching bug, and the elephant beetle, which is also known as the giant stag beetle. The male beetles have an enormous jaw that can be half as long as
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the stag beetle itself. It's that jaw that makes us jump back when we come upon one of these babies. The jaws of the stag beetle are large and branching. When it feels that its environment is threatening, the stag beetle leans back on its hind legs and opens its jaws very wide. This move helps protect the stag beetle from lizards, birds, toads, snakes, centipedes, raccoons, skunks, and weasels. However, humans should not be afraid of handling a stag beetle because they will only feel a slight pinch if bitten by one.
Like the scarab beetle, the stag beetle has wings that have a covering. When a beetle is preparing to fly, it must remove its wings from the cover, delaying its takeoff and giving it less time to fly away from predators. Hence, the big, bad jaws.
The adult stag beetle builds its habitat in decaying wood, logs, or stumps. It enjoys eating leaves and honeydew. The female stag beetle lays its larvae in rotting wood, especially if the wood is moist. The larvae continue to grow there. After the larvae hatch, they burrow their way into the wood for food. Because they help decompose rotting wood and trees, stag beetle larvae are helpful to the environment and are typically not considered pests. However, the larvae also eat roots, so they could cause damage to any plants you have growing in your yard.
If you see stag beetles in your yard, look around for their larvae. If you must, you can treat their habitats with any number of pesticides that can be purchased at any home and garden center. Keep in mind that male and female adult stag beetles do not live very long after the females have laid eggs, so it
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is more important to deal with eliminating the larvae instead of the adults. Also, larvae usually live between three to five years before becoming adult stag beetles. This is good news if they are feeding on and decomposing dead wood, but bad news if they are feasting on the roots of plants in your garden.
Stag beetles are attracted to light, so be prepared to see them near your porch or patio light at night. Check for stag beetles living in or near tree sap in the daytime. They are likely to be found there because tree sap is one of their favorite foods. These beetles are also attracted to rotting, sweet-smelling fruit. Be sure to throw away those empty juice boxes or discarded pieces of fruit your kids leave laying around outside. Otherwise, you may be paid a visit by a family of stag beetles.
The best way to avoid stag beetles posing a threat to your backyard is to keep firewood or decaying wood far away from plants or gardens. This way, stag beetles will decompose the wood, but are unlikely to go near your award-winning sunflowers.
Comments
24 May 2009, 01:48
in my garden there is no stag beetle larvae, if you can tell me Mr. please
tell me i need your help and tell me what do the stag beetle's larvae eats.
Thank you
24 May 2009, 09:02
24 May 2009, 15:48
26 May 2009, 10:52
26 May 2009, 19:37
Thanks
Dana
26 May 2009, 21:36
27 May 2009, 12:03
27 May 2009, 12:17
03 Jun 2009, 04:13
17 Jun 2009, 16:46
17 Jun 2009, 22:43
09 Jul 2009, 00:13
me and my mother found a stag beetle on my decks screen door. i was shocked to see how big it was. my mother and i were shocked to see the size of this bug. we didnt even know what kind of bug it was.we thought it must have been attracted to light sense it was flying aroud the light. my mother and i ran into the kitchen and grabbed bolth of our cameras and a glass cup. we trapped the but in a cup and we bolth started taking pictures. when we started taking pictures, the beetle stood on its back legs and opend his mouth wide. my mother dared me to pick it up, so the next moment, i was holding a stag beetle. at first i thought the bug was going to bite me. i thought the bite was going to hurt judging by the size of the stag beetles mouth!
10 Jul 2009, 12:43
10 Jul 2009, 14:21
13 Jul 2009, 23:44
14 Jul 2009, 09:28
For a picture of the larvae go to: http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/veluwe_larvae.jpg
21 Jul 2009, 08:41
14 Nov 2009, 22:37
I've seen a few each year I've lived here, but this year more than usual.
I'm in a corner unit surrounded by grass (no trees close by) and no ground cover or mulch (no rotting wood so far as I can tell!)
They always seem to be heading in the direction of the center of the building.
So far, in the last two months I've found 20 - sometimes dead, but more often just marching along across the carpet.
I have no outdoor lights on which might attract them, though I do leave a single 7watt CFL on 24/7 in the kitchen (farthest away from windows/doors)
Anyone have an idea what they're after?


