Stag Beetle Survey

The Stag Beetle is an Essex Biodiversity Plan species. It is the largest beetle found in the British Isles and males have huge jaws. The head and thorax are black with chestnut brown wing cases. Females are smaller and do not possess the large jaws, but are still much larger than the Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus.

Stag Beetles breed in rotting and decaying wood and the larvae can take up to four years to mature. The species is widespread in Southern England and in Essex there are two distinct population centres in N.E. Essex and S.W. Essex. As well as semi-natural habitats it is found in urban gardens and parklands.

You are likely to see Stag Beetles on warm summer evenings between May and August, but with a peak in June. You can help by sending in records of all Stag Beetle sightings.

Save your records
Species account (only records from this survey)