[Shieldsy]

Hi all,

Have seen 2 stag beetles in my garden tonight and whilst I know they are now a protected species are they considered a friend or foe with regards being a pest or beneficial to the garden?

Cheers,

Al

[grinling]

Prob a friend, the small black ones eat slugs

[jezza]

hi according to my insect book adult stag beetles dont feed the females lay eggs in rotting wood the larvea eat the rotting wood have you got a photo of the beetles,my local church yard has a rotten silver birch tree with 30 larvea in it you havent mistaken them for cockshafer beetles which are the same size but light brown     jezza

[sunshineband]

Jezza you are right about stag beetles' lack of feeding. The grubs get to a grand size in rotting logs and contribute to their break down too with their tunnelling. We have colonies of them at our local school in the log piles there made by the children, which is fascinating for them.

Cockchafer larvae are also pretty big, but the adults are nowhere near the size of stag beetles as their bodies (not including 'antlers') are over two inches long