Lucanus elaphus

Lucanus elaphus, the giant stag beetle,^[1] elk stag beetle, or erroneously as the elephant stag beetle,^[2] is a beetle of the family Lucanidae native to eastern North America.^[3][4] They are sometimes kept as pets.

Lucanus elaphus
Adult male Lucanus elaphus
Conservation status
Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Scarabaeiformia
Family:	Lucanidae
Genus:	Lucanus
Species:	L. elaphus
Binomial name
Lucanus elaphus Fabricius, 1775

Etymology

Elaphus in Greek means "deer".^[5] Compare with the Red Deer or elk (Cervus elaphus), 'cervus' meaning 'deer' in Latin.

Gallery

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  Differences in size of Lucanus elaphus
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  Adult female Lucanus elaphus, 29 millimeters long
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  Adult male Lucanus elaphus
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  Mandibles of male Lucanus elaphus
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  Adult female Lucanus elaphus, 29 millimeters long
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  Underside of adult female