Lesser Stag Beetle
13th February 2012
Less well known than its larger relative the Stag Beetle, the Lesser Stag Beetle thrives in the deadwood of deciduous woodlands, primarily Ash, Beech and apple. At 2-3cm it is considerably smaller than the Stag Beetle and lack the characteristic antlers, the adults can be further distinguished by their smaller mandibles, knobbed antennae and all black wing case.
Larvae are more difficult to identify with both the stag beetle and lesser stag beetle larvae possessing an orange head and brown jaws and both adopting a C shape when at rest. However the larvae of the lesser stag beetle are more likely to be found in drier wood piles with lesser stag beetle adults often found nearby.
Larvae can spend 3-4 years feeding on rotting wood, pupating within the wood and emerging as adults in the spring or summer. As nocturnal adults they live for only a few weeks surviving on plant sap and water, during this time they may be seen gathering around outside lights while in flight or resting on tree trunks.
Latin name: Dorcus parallelipipedus
Population Numbers: Found primarily in southern and central England they are a resident species in Wiltshire and are common throughout the county often to be found in gardens where suitable habitats exist. This species is far more widespread than its globally threatened cousin the Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus) which is mainly confined to the south east.
Where to see and when: While adults are usually only in flight in the summer they may be seen throughout most of the year and larvae may be spotted in deadwood piles, although great care should be taken not to disturb them or other wildlife within.
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s The Devenish reserve provides a variety of woodland habitats from young woodland to mature Beech woodland. The site also includes a steep west-facing chalk scarp, rich in wildflowers. This variety makes it an ideal site for a wide range of wildlife with a range of beetle species finding it particularly suitable.
What’s being done: Deadwood may look untidy and devoid of wildlife but it is an important sub-habitat within woodland ecosystems with a wide variety of small vertebrates, invertebrates, plants and fungi relying on it. Historically deadwood and wood piles created through management of woodland were removed to protect trees from insect and fungi species that may damage them. However in many areas this means that levels of deadwood fell too low to be able to support many key species. Now the importance of deadwood is realised and actions to increase the amount of this habitat available are in operation. This often does not mean a change in management techniques but simply leaving coppicing residues where they are removed. Because of the specialised environment that deadwood provides many of the species that make their home here are rare and often endangered having adapted to these very specific conditions.
On WWT reserves many areas of woodland are coppiced in rotation to allow dead and rotting woodpiles to develop naturally, further timber from coppicing may be left on site to create new deadwood areas.
At The Devenish reserve there are several areas that support large Beech trees in the region of 200 years old. These are a scarce and very valuable habitat, particularly for standing and fallen deadwood, rot holes, rain hollows, sap runs and nest cavities etc. Management is aimed at promoting the continuity of these Beech trees, through sympathetic tree surgery (for example crown thinning and limb removal rather than whole tree removal) and pollarding. Non-native species are also thinned from the woodland to promote the growth of specimen trees such as Beech and Yew and encroaching scrub is removed from the downland. Whilst some of the resultant brash (cut material) is burnt, care is taken to provide standing and fallen deadwood in a variety of ages across the reserve.
In June 2010, a tree stump from a London Plane which was found to contain Stag Beetle larvae was donated to the Trust by a member of the public and was re-homed at Devenish. The stump can be found close to the car park and beetles have been spotted on the log twice. Remember to keep an eye out and send in any sightings!
