Hi all, I'm looking for some North American beetle expertise (UK-based here).
I'm hoping to film some giant stag beetles (lucanus elaphus) for a documentary I'm working on. We have a very similar species here in Europe, lucanus cervus, and one of the really cool things the males do is fight other males, for territory or for a female.
I've heard anecdotally that males of lucanus elaphus also fight (They have very similar mandibles, so it would make sense!) - BUT as far as I can tell, it hasn't been documented. Or at least, not publicly. I've spoken to a few scientists who are pretty sure that elaphus males will fight, but just haven't seen it with their own eyes. I guess this is partly due to how rare they are, and the fact that males seem to be harder to find than females.
Has anyone on here ever witnessed a male lucanus elaphus fighting another male? If so, I'd love to chat!
Thanks,
Euan
I'm hoping to film some giant stag beetles (lucanus elaphus) for a documentary I'm working on. We have a very similar species here in Europe, lucanus cervus, and one of the really cool things the males do is fight other males, for territory or for a female.
I've heard anecdotally that males of lucanus elaphus also fight (They have very similar mandibles, so it would make sense!) - BUT as far as I can tell, it hasn't been documented. Or at least, not publicly. I've spoken to a few scientists who are pretty sure that elaphus males will fight, but just haven't seen it with their own eyes. I guess this is partly due to how rare they are, and the fact that males seem to be harder to find than females.
Has anyone on here ever witnessed a male lucanus elaphus fighting another male? If so, I'd love to chat!
Thanks,
Euan
