Learn about the stag beetle, a large and distinctive insect with antler-like jaws, and its role in decomposing wood and recycling nutrients. Find out how to identify, where to find, and how to protect these fascinating creatures that are threatened by habitat loss. stag beetle, (family Lucanidae), 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. Male stag beetles are known for their oversized mandibles that are used to wrestle each other for favoured mating sites in a way that parallels how stags fight over females. Fights may also be over food, such as tree sap and decaying fruits. Learn about the spectacular stag beetle, a nationally scarce insect with antler-like jaws, in the UK. Find out how to identify, protect and record this threatened species and its habitat.
