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'Stag beetles' are a group of about 1,200 species of beetle in the family 'Lucanidae'. The most well-known species is the ''Lucanus cervus'', a large beetle found in much of Europe, which is commonly referred to as the stag beetle. Some species grow to 8 cm (3¼ in), but usually they are about 5 cm (2 in).
The name is derived from the large and distinctive mandibles found on the males, which are used in much the same way as the antlers on stags are between males competing for mates. Carolus Linnaeus named the best-known species ''Lucanus cervus''. Pliny the Elder noted that Nigidius called the stag beetle ''lucani'' after the Italian region of Lucania where they were used as amulets.
Male stag beetles are not aggressive and will only attack when they feel threatened or for food and during the mating seasons. On occasion they will contend with another male for a mate, using their mandibles to wrestle each other. Stag beetle are sometimes used in the Chinese sport of insect fighting.
Female stag beetles are not as large or strong as male stag beetles. Their pincers are small and short (although they can still inflict a painful bite), with some species taking the appearance of rhinoceros beetles.

Contents

List of Species

External links

List of Species

Subfamily Aesalinae

:Tribe Aesalini
::Genus ''Aesalus'' (Fabricius, 1801)
:::
★ ''Aesalus asiaticus'' Lewis, 1883
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★ ''Aesalus himalayicus''
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★ ''Aesalus imanishii''
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★ ''Aesalus meridionalis''
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★ ''Aesalus neotropicalis''
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★ ''Aesalus saburoi''
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★ ''Aesalus sawaii'' Fujita & Ichikawa, 1985
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★ ''Aesalus scarabaeoides'' Panzer, 1793
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★ ''Aesalus sichuanensis''
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★ ''Aesalus smithi''
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★ ''Aesalus trogoides''
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★ ''Aesalus ulanowskii'' Ganglbauer, 1886
::Genus ''Cretaesalus''
::Genus ''Echinoaesalus''
:::
★ ''Echinoaesalus barriesi'' (Zelenka, 1993)
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★ ''Echinoaesalus hidakai'' (Araya, 1993)
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★ ''Echinoaesalus jaechi'' (Zelenka,1993)
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★ ''Echinoaesalus matsuii'' (Araya, 1993)
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★ ''Echinoaesalus sabahensis'' (Zelenka, 1994)
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★ ''Echinoaesalus schuhi'' (Zelenka, 1994)
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★ ''Echinoaesalus timidus''
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★ ''Echinoaesalus yongi'' (Araya, 1993)
::Genus ''Lucanobium'' Howden & Lawrence, 1974
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★ ''Lucanobium squamosus'' Howden & Lawrence, 1974
:Tribe Ceratognathini
::Genus ''Ceratognathus''
::Genus ''Hilophyllus'' Paulsen & Mondaca, 2006
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★ ''Hilophyllus argentinensis'' Martinez, 1981
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★ ''Hilophyllus martinezi'' Paulsen & Mondaca, 2006
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★ ''Hilophyllus penai'', Martinez, 1976
::Genus ''Mitophyllus''
:Tribe Nicagini
::Genus ''Nicagus'' LeConte, 1860
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★ ''Nicagus obscurus'' (LeConte, 1848)
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★ ''Nicagus occultus'' Paulsen & Smith, 2005
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★ ''Nicagus japonicus'' Nagel, 1928
::Genus ''Holloceratognathus''
Subfamily Lampriminae
::Genus ''Dendroblax''
::Genus ''Lamprima''
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★ ''Lamprima adolphinae'' (Gestro, 1875)
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★ ''Lamprima aurata''
::Genus ''Phalacrognathus''
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★ ''Phalacrognathus muelleri''
::Genus ''Streptocerus''
:::
★ ''Streptocerus speciosus'' Fairmaire, 1850
Subfamily Lucaninae Latreille, 1804
:Tribe Aegini
::Genus ''Aegus'' MacLeay, 1819
:Tribe Allotopini
::Genus ''Allotopus''
:::
★ ''Allotopus moellenkampi'' (Fruhstorfer, 1894)
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★ ''Allotopus rosenbergi'' (Vollenhoven, 1872)
::Genus ''Mesotopus''
:Tribe Chiasognathini
::Genus ''Cacostomus''
:::
★ ''Cacostomus squamosus''
::Genus ''Casignetus''
::Genus ''Chiasognathus'' Stephens, 1831
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★ ''Chiasognathus beneshi'' Lacroix, 1978
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★ ''Chiasognathus granti'' Stephens, 1831
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★ ''Chiasognathus jousselini'' Reiche, 1850
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★ ''Chiasognathus latreillei'' Solier, 1851
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★ ''Chiasognathus mniszechii'' Kiesche 1919
::Genus ''Protognathinus''
::Genus ''Sphaenognathus''
:Tribe Cladognathini
::Genus ''Aphanognathus''
:::
★ ''Aphanognathus laterotarsoides'' (Houlbert, 1915)
::Genus ''Capreolucanus''
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★ ''Capreolucanus sicardi'' Didier, 1928
::Genus ''Cladophyllus''
::Genus ''Eligmodontus''
::Genus ''Gonometopus''
::Genus ''Macrodorcas'' Motschulsky, 1862
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★ ''Macrodorcas adachii''
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★ ''Macrodorcas amamiana''
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★ ''Macrodorcas barbata''
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★ ''Macrodorcas bisignata''
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★ ''Macrodorcas bomansi''
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★ ''Macrodorcas davidi''
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★ ''Macrodorcas dierli''
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★ ''Macrodorcas elsiledis''
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★ ''Macrodorcas fulvonotata''
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★ ''Macrodorcas humilis''
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★ ''Macrodorcas intricata''
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★ ''Macrodorcas kobayashii''
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★ ''Macrodorcas koyamai''
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★ ''Macrodorcas melliana''
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★ ''Macrodorcas mochizukii''
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★ ''Macrodorcas moellenkampi''
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★ ''Macrodorcas montivaga''
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★ ''Macrodorcas pieli''
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★ ''Macrodorcas pseudaxis''
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★ ''Macrodorcas recta'' Motschulsky, 1858
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★ ''Macrodorcas ruficrus''
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★ ''Macrodorcas songiana''
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★ ''Macrodorcas striatipennis'' Motschulsky, 1862
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★ ''Macrodorcas ursulae''
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★ ''Macrodorcas vernicata''
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★ ''Macrodorcas yaeyamaensis''
::Genus ''Palaeognathus''
::Genus ''Prismognathus'' Motschulsky, 1860
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★ ''Prismognathus alessandrae''
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★ ''Prismognathus angularis'' C._O._Waterhouse, 1874
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★ ''Prismognathus branczicki''
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★ ''Prismognathus cheni''
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★ ''Prismognathus dauricus'' Motschulsky, 1860
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★ ''Prismognathus davidis''
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★ ''Prismognathus delislei''
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★ ''Prismognathus formosanus''
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★ ''Prismognathus klapperichi''
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★ ''Prismognathus lucidus''
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★ ''Prismognathus morimotoi''
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★ ''Prismognathus nigerrimus''
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★ ''Prismognathus nigricolor''
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★ ''Prismognathus piluensis''
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★ ''Prismognathus platycephalus''
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★ ''Prismognathus ruficephalus''
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★ ''Prismognathus sinensis''
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★ ''Prismognathus subnitens''
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★ ''Prismognathus tokui''
::Genus ''Prosopocoilus'' Westwood, 1845
::Genus ''Pseudorhaetus''
::Genus ''Rhaetulus''
::Genus ''Rhaetus''
:::
★ ''Rhaetus westwoodi'' (Parry, 1862)
::Genus ''Tetrarthrius''
::Genus ''Weinreichius''
:::
★ ''Weinreichius perroti'' Lacroix, 1978
:Tribe Colophonini
::Genus ''Colophon''
:Tribe Cyclommatini
::Genus ''Cyclommatus'' Parry, 1863
:Tribe Dendeziini
::Genus ''Dendezia''
::Genus ''Oonotus'' Parry, 1864
::Genus ''Xiphodontus''
:Tribe Dorcini
::Genus ''Bartolozziolucanus''
::Genus ''Cantharolethrus''
:::
★ ''Cantharolethrus luxeri''
::Genus ''Cyclommatus''
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★ ''Cyclommatus scutellaris''
::Genus ''Dorcasoides''
::Genus ''Dorcus'' MacLeay, 1819
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★ ''Dorcus akahorii''
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★ ''Dorcus alcides''
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★ ''Dorcus alexisi''
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★ ''Dorcus amamianus''
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★ ''Dorcus antaeus''
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★ ''Dorcus anteus''
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★ ''Dorcus arfakianus''
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★ ''Dorcus binodulosus''
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★ ''Dorcus brevis''
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★ ''Dorcus bucephalus''
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★ ''Dorcus carinulatus''
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★ ''Dorcus consentaneus''
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★ ''Dorcus curvidens''
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★ ''Dorcus cylindricus''
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★ ''Dorcus davidis''
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★ ''Dorcus emikoae''
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★ ''Dorcus eurycephalus''
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★ ''Dorcus formosanus''
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★ ''Dorcus gracilicornis''
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★ ''Dorcus garndis''
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★ ''Dorcus hopei''
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★ ''Dorcus hyperion''
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★ ''Dorcus japonicus''
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★ ''Dorcus kyanrauensis''
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★ ''Dorcus metacostatus''
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★ ''Dorcus miwai''
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★ ''Dorcus musimon''
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★ ''Dorcus parallelus''
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★ ''Dorcus parallelipipedus'' Linnaeus, 1758
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★ ''Dorcus parryi''
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★ ''Dorcus parvulus''
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★ ''Dorcus peyronis''
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★ ''Dorcus prochazkai''
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★ ''Dorcus ratiocinativus''
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★ ''Dorcus rectus''
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★ ''Dorcus reichei''
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★ ''Dorcus rudis''
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★ ''Dorcus sawaii''
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★ ''Dorcus schenklingi''
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★ ''Dorcus sewertzowi''
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★ ''Dorcus suturalis''
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★ ''Dorcus taiwanicus''
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★ ''Dorcus tanakai''
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★ ''Dorcus taurus''
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★ ''Dorcus tenuecostatus''
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★ ''Dorcus titanus''
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★ ''Dorcus tormosanus''
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★ ''Dorcus ursulus''
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★ ''Dorcus vavrai''
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★ ''Dorcus velutinus''
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★ ''Dorcus vicinus''
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★ ''Dorcus yamadai''
::Genus ''Homoderus''
::Genus ''Leptinopterus''
::Genus ''Prosopocoilus''
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★ ''Prosopocoilus astacoides''
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★ ''Prosopocoilus biplagiatus''
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★ ''Prosopocoilus bison''
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★ ''Prosopocoilus giraffa''
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★ ''Prosopocoilus inclinatus''
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★ ''Prosopocoilus savagei''
::Genus ''Rhaetulus''
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★ ''Rhaetulus crenatus''
::Genus ''Serrognathus''
::Genus ''Pycnosiphorus''
::Genus ''Sclerostomus''
:Tribe Figulini
::Genus ''Cardanus''
::Genus ''Dinonigidius''
::Genus ''Figulus''
::Genus ''Ganelius''
::Genus ''Nigidionus''
::Genus ''Nigidius''
::Genus ''Novonigidius''
::Genus ''Penichrolucanus''
:Tribe Lucanini
::Genus ''Hexarthrius''
::Genus ''Lucanus''
:::
★ ''Lucanus capreolus''
:::
★ ''Lucanus cervus''
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★ ''Lucanus elaphus''
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★ ''Lucanus formosanus''
:::
★ ''Lucanus maculifemoratus''
:::
★ ''Lucanus mazama''
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★ ''Lucanus placidus''
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★ ''Lucanus swinhoei''
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★ ''Lucanus tetraodon''
:Tribe Odontolabini
::Genus ''Calcodes''
::Genus ''Neolucanus''
:::
★ ''Neolucanus castanopterus''
::Genus ''Odontolabis''
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★ ''Odontolabis castelnaudi''
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★ ''Odontolabis cuvera''
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★ ''Odontolabis femoralis''
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★ ''Odontolabis siva''
:Tribe Platycerini
::Genus ''Platyceroides''
::Genus ''Platyceropsis''
::Genus ''Platycerus''
Subfamily Syndesinae
:Tribe Ceruchini
::Genus ''Ceruchus''
:Tribe Sinodendronini
::Genus ''Sinodendron''
:Tribe Syndesini
::Genus ''Psilodon''
::Genus ''Syndesus''

External links

★ Stag beetle helpline Research site containing lots of information on the stag beetle as well as a monitoring form and information on current conservation schemes.

★ Goliathus.com: gallery of Lucanidae Toma Libich

★ Gallery of Lucanidae

★ Biodiversity: section on Lucanidae with a world catalogue and a world bibliography J M Maes

★ Male Stag Beetle on finger YouTube