Stag beetle larvae are quite harmless and are a joy to watch. It is the UK’s largest beetle and is found in South East England, particularly in South and West London.
Stag beetles are a family that, though not very colorful, have prominent pincers! Male stag beetles usually have enlarged, sometimes astonishing jaws. Most are black, brownish, or reddish brown. They are strong, elongated beetles. The antennae are enlarged at the tip or clubbed, with segments that fan open like leaves but that cannot be pressed together tightly into a ball.
Stag Beetle Larvae – Other features
- Stag beetles have a shiny black head and thorax (middle section), and chestnut-brown wing cases.
- Males have large antler-like jaws, female jaws are much smaller.
- Stag beetles vary in size. Males are usually about 4-8cm long, females are smaller, usually 3-5cm long.
- A fully-grown stag beetle larva can be up to 11cm long. They’re fairly smooth skinned, have orange head and legs and brown jaws. They’re nearly always found below ground and can be as deep as half a metre down.
Stag Beetle Life Cycle
Stag beetles spend most of their life cycle underground as a larva – three to five years depending on the weather. Periods of very cold weather can extend the process.
Once fully grown, the larvae leave the rotting wood they’ve been feeding on to build a large cocoon in the soil, where they pupate and finally metamorphose into an adult.
Adults spend the winter underground and usually emerge from mid-May onwards. By the end of August, most of them will have died. You’re most likely to see adults on warm, sunny evenings in May and June.
We’ve been studying them for nearly 20 years, with the help of the public, and our partner organisations. Our national and international surveys help us to keep an eye on numbers and give the best advice on saving them. We also work hard to protect their homes such as orchards and woodlands.
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