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Stag beetles are a group of about 1,200 species of beetlein the family Lucanidae. Some species grow to 8 cm(3ΒΌ in), but most are about 5 cm (2 in).
The Englishname is derived from the large and distinctive mandiblesfound on the males of most species, which resemble the antlersof stags.
A well-known species in much of Europeis Lucanus cervus, referred to in Britainas "the" stag beetle (it is the largest British terrestrial insect). Pliny the Eldernoted that Nigidiuscalled the stag beetle lucanus after the Italian region of Lucaniawhere they were used as amulets. The scientific name of Lucanus cervus is this word, plus cervus, deer.
Male stag beetles use their jaws to wrestle each other for favoured mating sites, but despite their often fearsome appearance they are not normally aggressive to humans. Stag beetles are sometimes used in the Chinese sport of insect fighting[citation needed].
Female stag beetles are usually smaller than the males, with mandibles in normal proportion for a beetle.
The larvaefeed for several years on rotting wood, growing into grubswhich in larger species may be as big as a human finger.
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