Stag beetle Lucanus cervus

The Stag Beetle, Lucanus cervus, is Britain’s largest native beetle, belonging to the family Lucanidae, and one of the most iconic and instantly recognisable invertebrates in the country. Males are spectacular insects, reaching up to 75 mm in length, and are distinguished by their extraordinary enlarged mandibles – resembling the antlers of a stag – which are used in ritualised combat with rival males during the summer mating season. Females are smaller and lack the enlarged mandibles, though they are nonetheless impressive beetles in their own right. The larvae develop over several years within decaying wood, particularly the buried roots and stumps of oak and other deciduous trees, making veteran trees and undisturbed dead wood an essential habitat requirement. L. cervus is largely concentrated in south-east England, with the Thames Valley and surrounding counties representing a stronghold, though populations have declined significantly across much of its former range. It is a priority species for conservation and a flagship for the importance of retaining dead and decaying wood within managed landscapes. Image: © Paul Kitchener, Flickr.

Find out more: iNaturalist, UK Beetle recording, Suffolk Wildlife Trust