Stag Beetle: World’s Most Expensive Insect

The stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies. The stag beetle is only 2 to 3 inches in size and its main identity is its horn that comes out of its blackhead. The oversize horns or mandibles are found in male stag beetles and they use these long horns to fight with each other for attaining favourable mating spots. The fight may also occur for attaining food items like tree sap and decaying fruits. Female stag beetles are smaller than male stag beetles and their mandibles are also smaller than the males. But, the mandibles of female stag beetles are much more powerful than the mandibles of male stag beetles. The female stag beetles lay eggs in deadwood or nearby soil and they almost lay 30 eggs. The main habitats of stag beetles are woodlands, hedgerows, traditional orchards, and urban areas such as parks and gardens with a lot of deadwood. The head and thorax of stag beetles are shiny black and wing cases are chestnut brown. Adult stag beetles do not eat, but they do drink sweet fluids like tree sap and liquid from decomposing fruits. The stag beetle completes a life cycle of seven years from egg to adult. Most of their lives are spent underground as larvae, only emerging in the summer to find a mate and reproduce. Most stag beetles live only for a few weeks after emerging as an adult. Stag beetles are harmless and are not that aggressive, but their jaws are enough to give you a small nightmare if you encourage them to have a pinch. Stag beetles are also important for recycling and breaking down dead wood and returning nutrients to the soil. Many small insects and fungi depend on their activities.