# Where Do Stag Beetles Live?

> Where stag beetles live: Old woodlands, parks, and gardens with dead wood, native range cues, and human overlap. Status Near Threatened.

- **Species:** Stag Beetle (*Lucanus cervus*)
- **Conservation status:** Near Threatened
- **Diet:** Larvae eat rotting wood; adults take tree sap and fruit juices
- **Habitat:** Old woodlands, parks, and gardens with dead wood
- **Lifespan:** Larvae 3–6 years; adults a few weeks to months
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/stag-beetle/where-do-stag-beetle-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/stag-beetle/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) is one of Europe's largest land beetles, named for the antler-like jaws that males wave and wrestle with like tiny deer. Adults reach up to 7.5 cm long and live only a few weeks to months, while the grubs spend three to six years feeding on rotting wood underground. Found in old woodlands, parks, and gardens, the species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN, largely because dead wood is being cleared from the landscape.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## The antler-like jaws

Male stag beetles are unmistakable, sporting enormously enlarged mandibles that curve and branch like a stag's antlers. Despite their fearsome look these jaws are surprisingly weak and are used mainly for display and for wrestling rival males, not for feeding. In contests over females or feeding sites, two males lock jaws and try to lift and throw each other off the branch. Females lack the great antlers but have smaller, sharper jaws that can actually deliver a stronger pinch.

## Help protect the Stag Beetle

The stag beetle is listed as Near Threatened, with habitat loss the leading threat to its future.

[Donate to protect habitat](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/stag-beetle/where-do-stag-beetle-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.