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So I bring this question up after seeing another post asking if rhinoceros beetle species under the genus Dynastes could interbreed or hybridize. In some species this is true and an experiment done in the early 21st Century proved it by crossbreeding two north American species Dynastes tityus and Dynastes Granti. Both were closely related and seemed almost identical with exception to thoracic horn length and coloration. Given that I must ask has anyone ever crossbred and created a hybrid of the north American stag beetle species Lucanus elaphus and Lucanus capreolus? Both species are roughly within the same size and length range as well as both species have the same breeding requirements and although different in appearance the two species share most anatomy features with exception to two things of course. The males mandible size and head shape and the length of the males genitals. L. elaphus has a longer penis and its apparent when comparing pupae however it can't be said that it is possible for a male L. elaphus to breed with a female L. capreolus as his genital would certainly be long enough to reach the unfertilized eggs. A question of whether any offsprings would survive and whether they would be fertile or sterile is in question but what do you member of the beetleforum community think about this hypothesis and do you think it is worth experimenting on? cuz I am thinking of performing this experiment next year given that I can find the appropriate logs.