How can you tell if a stag beetle is male or female?
Female stag beetles are usually smaller than the males, with smaller mandibles that are much more powerful than the males’. As larvae, females are distinguished by their cream-coloured, fat ovaries visible through the skin around two-thirds of the way down their back.
What does a female stag beetle look like?
A stag beetle’s head and thorax (middle section) are shiny black and their wing cases are chestnut brown. Female beetles are smaller at between 30-50mm long, with smaller mandibles. They are often seen on the ground looking for somewhere to lay their eggs.
Do female stag beetles have horns?
Males have the characteristic large antlers (mandibles) which can be the same size as their body (sometimes bigger) whereas females are smaller and have smaller mandibles. For more information please see our stag beetle fact file.
Do female stag beetles bite?
They aren’t designed to ‘bite’. It is possible for a female stag beetle to pinch if you were to pick one up, but this is quite unlikely and it’s best to leave them be anyway.
What do female stag beetles eat?
rotting wood
They eat loads of rotting wood, returning important minerals to the soil, but don’t eat living plants or shrubs. Male Stag Beetles have large mandibles (jaws) that look a bit like the antlers of a deer, hence its name. Females don’t have such ‘big mouths’ but their jaws are actually much stronger.
Are stag beetle rare?
This is an endangered species and it is under protection. “This is the most valuable species. It is also bought and sold in Germany,” he added. Stag beetles are a group of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae.
Can a stag beetle pinch you?
Since beetles are identified in part by their chewing mouthparts, any beetle can technically bite. Still, only a few are able to clamp down strongly enough to harm humans. A stag beetle bite or wound from any of these three species will typically require a few days to heal, but have no lasting effects.
Can you keep a stag beetle as a pet?
Stag beetles, known as kuwagata mushi in Japanese, are very popular as pets in Japan, much like rhinoceros beetles (kabuto mushi). Caring for stag beetles is much the same as caring for rhinoceros beetles, but, there are a few differences in how to care for stag beetles.
Why do stag beetle throw their mates?
Stag beetles that win male-male contests usually succeed in mating, and thus there is strong sexual selection for success in battle. The beetle battles by trying to grab an opponent with its enlarged mandibles and then throw the opponent into the air. That is, when mandibles are bigger, eyes are smaller.
How long do female stag beetles live?
between three and seven years
How long do stag beetles live? Stag beetles live between three and seven years, on average. The vast majority of this time is spent as a larva underground. Females lay their eggs – possibly as many as 30 – in dead wood or nearby soil.