Reddish-brown Stag Beetle

Deciduous forests and adjacent areas with plenty of dead wood; often found near old stumps or logs.

Adults feed on tree sap and rotting fruit; larvae (grubs) eat decaying wood of oak, maple, and apple trees.

Primarily nocturnal and attracted to lights at night; males use their mandibles for wrestling rivals. Larvae live in rotting logs for several years before pupating.

Generally harmless to humans though they can pinch with mandibles if handled roughly; ecologically beneficial as decomposers that help recycle nutrients from dead wood back into the soil.