Lucanus cervus (Linnaeus, 1758)
(Stag Beetle)

Interactions where Lucanus cervus is the dominant partner and gains from the process

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Stage Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season
larva larva feeds within dead or rotten wood of esp. stump Fagus beeches Fagales: Fagaceae Dung Beetles and Chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), Jessop, L., 1986
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Lucanidae/Lucanus cervus/Lucanus cervusstag beetlelarva Foodplant / internal feeder /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Fagales/Fagaceae/Fagus/Fagusbeechesdead or rottenwoodesp. stump
larva larva feeds within dead or rotten wood Major Quercus oaks Fagales: Fagaceae Host Plants of British Beetles: A List of Recorded Associations, Bullock, J.A., 1992
Dung Beetles and Chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), Jessop, L., 1986
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Lucanidae/Lucanus cervus/Lucanus cervusstag beetlelarva Foodplant / internal feeder /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Fagales/Fagaceae/Quercus/Quercusoaksdead or rottenwoodMajor
larva larva feeds within dead or rotten wood of esp. stump Tilia limes Malvales: Malvaceae Host Plants of British Beetles: A List of Recorded Associations, Bullock, J.A., 1992
Dung Beetles and Chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), Jessop, L., 1986
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Lucanidae/Lucanus cervus/Lucanus cervusstag beetlelarva Foodplant / internal feeder /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Malvales/Malvaceae/Tilia/Tilialimesdead or rottenwoodesp. stump
imago imago grazes on fruit ROSACEAE roses and fruit trees Rosales Dung Beetles and Chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), Jessop, L., 1986
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Lucanidae/Lucanus cervus/Lucanus cervusstag beetleimago Foodplant / open feeder /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Rosales/Rosaceae/Rosaceaeroses and fruit treesfruit
larva larva feeds within dead or rotten wood of esp. stump Ulmus elms Rosales: Ulmaceae Host Plants of British Beetles: A List of Recorded Associations, Bullock, J.A., 1992
Dung Beetles and Chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), Jessop, L., 1986
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Lucanidae/Lucanus cervus/Lucanus cervusstag beetlelarva Foodplant / internal feeder /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Rosales/Ulmaceae/Ulmus/Ulmuselmsdead or rottenwoodesp. stump
imago imago feeds on exudate [Broadleaved trees] broadleaved, frondose or deciduous trees Dung Beetles and Chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), Jessop, L., 1986
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Lucanidae/Lucanus cervus/Lucanus cervusstag beetleimago Foodplant / feeds on /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Broadleaved trees/Broadleaved treesbroadleaved, frondose or deciduous treesexudate
larva larva feeds within dead or rotten wood of esp. stump [Broadleaved trees] broadleaved, frondose or deciduous trees Dung Beetles and Chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), Jessop, L., 1986
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Lucanidae/Lucanus cervus/Lucanus cervusstag beetlelarva Foodplant / internal feeder /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Broadleaved trees/Broadleaved treesbroadleaved, frondose or deciduous treesdead or rottenwoodesp. stump

Author & YearTitleSource
Bullock, J.A., 1992Host Plants of British Beetles: A List of Recorded Associations11a, 24pp, Amateur Entomologists’ Society
Jessop, L., 1986Dung Beetles and Chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, Vol 5, Part 11, New edition, 53pp, The Royal Entomological Society of London

Lucanus cervus (Stag Beetle) may also be included in 'feeds on' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Lucanus cervus (Stag Beetle) may be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesLucanus cervus (Stag Beetle)
FamilyLUCANIDAE (stag and rhinocerus beetles)
SuperfamilySCARABAEOIDEA (scarabs, dung and stag beetles)
Series Scarabaeiformia (scarabs, dung and stag beetles)
SuborderPOLYPHAGA (mainly terrestrial beetles)
OrderCOLEOPTERA (beetles)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Lucanus cervus (Stag Beetle)

Identification Works

Handling & MagnificationAuthorYearTitleSource
Fremlin, M. Stag beetles - Love is all they need maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/index.html
Sterry, P. 2002 Male Stag Beetles Vol 13, No. 4 Page: Front cover

Lucanus cervus (Stag Beetle) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

General Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Harvey, D.J., Hawes, C.J., Gange, A.C., Finch, P., Chesmore, D. & Farr, I. 2011 Development of non-invasive monitoring methods for larvae and adults of the stag beetle, Lucanus cervus Insect Conservation and Diversity Vol 4(1): 4-14.
Pratt, C.R. 2003 A modern review of the history of the Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) in Great Britain 40pp, Booth Museum of Natural History, Brighton

Regional

Nilsson, G. E., Rosseland, E. & Zachariassen, K.E. 2009 The stag beetle Lucanus cervus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera, Lucanidae) found in Norway NJE Vol 56 (1): 9-12.

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may also be relevant to Lucanus cervus (Stag Beetle):

BioImagesBioImages (www.bioimages.org.uk) has 40 images of Lucanus cervus (Stag Beetle)
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