European Stag Beetle

Deciduous woodlands, parks, and gardens containing old trees and rotting wood, particularly oak.

Adults primarily feed on tree sap and fallen fruit; larvae feed on decaying wood (saproxylophagous).

Crepuscular and nocturnal flyers. Males use their large, antler-like mandibles to wrestle rivals for mating rights. The larval stage can last 3 to 7 years underground.

No risk to humans as they are non-venomous; though they can pinch with mandibles, they rarely do. Beneficial to the ecosystem as decomposers of dead wood.