They only live for a few weeks after they have turned into an adult. Some species grow to 8 centimetres (3¼ inches), but most are about 5 centimetres (2 inches). British beetle species have a varied diet. Using their huge jaws, males grapple with each other for the best locations. They feed on things like decaying matter, plants, other insects, and even animals. It is endangered and is the UK's biggest terrestrial beetle. Male stag beetle with its striking mouthparts, or mandibles. Find out what beetles eat and get help with UK beetle identification. However, they prefer eating plants and only eat other insects if no other food source is available. The Lesser stag beetle is a large beetle with a broad head and large mandibles. Stag beetles (Lucanus cervus) are protected in the UK under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended. Learn what do beetles eat based on their living surroundings. Stag beetles can be found in Southern and central Europe. Unfortunately, when stag beetles get sick, there isn’t much humans can do to … Stag beetles have been recorded in most London boroughs, but are much more commonly seen in south and west London, from Bexley, Lewisham and Southwark to Wimbledon, Richmond and Uxbridge. Below right is a photo of stag beetle larvae at different stages of development. There are about 1,200 species of stag beetle living all over the world. Beetles are a group of insects under the order Coleoptera, the largest order of Class Insecta. Stag beetles only exists … Around 1,000 beetle species rely on trees and woodland habitats, from … Meanwhile, the dor beetle eats faeces from animals. Stag beetles […] Discover colourful and striking British beetles, including a particularly vibrant ladybird, magnificent stag beetle, impressive wasp mimic and rare rainbow-coloured beetle. What do beetles eat? From the left: first, second and third instars. If handled carelessly, their pinch can draw blood from a person. Many stag beetles, both male and female, will fight and possibly kill each other if placed in the same case. Stag beetles spend 3–7 years as a grub (young beetle) living in dead tree stumps and eating the rotting wood. Stag beetles belong to the family Lucanidae. Stag beetle, (family Lucanidae), also called pinching bug, any of some 900 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) in which the mandibles (jaws) are greatly developed in the male and resemble the antlers of a stag.In many species the elaborately branched and toothed mandibles may be as long as the beetle itself. Take the insects quiz . Many other species prefer the pollen and nectar from plants. The best mating sites are where females go to eat, or near the rotting wood where females lay eggs. Regarding their diet, beetles eat a wide variety of things found in nature. Some species, such as the lesser stag beetle like to eat rotting wood, while the orange and black sexton beetle, favour decaying animals to lay their larvae. Although in nature stag beetles often fight, if you keep one beetle per case, they will live longer, healthier lives. With over 4,200 species in the UK, beetles really are everywhere. In Britain, they are found in southern and southeastern areas of England. Some of the things stag beetles seek out include decaying wood, leaves, nectar, flowers and fruit that has fallen to … So if you want to know a bit more about them, please visit the pages listed below. They are a group of about 1,200 species. Stag beetles are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and other insects. Quiz. Those jaws don’t just look like antlers; male stag beetles combat each other for mating opportunities just as male elk and deer do. 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