Latin Name:  Platycerus sp. (Geoffroy)
                        (R. Bercha, det.)

Length:   8 - 15 mm

Range:  Alberta

Habitat:  Wooded areas

Time of year seen:  Summer

Diet: Sap and honeydew

Other: Stag Beetles have distinctive elbowed antennae with 10 segments. The last three or four segments are comb-like.  There are five species of Platycerus in North America, of these four are present in Canada and only two have been found in Alberta.  The larvae are of minor economic importance as they feed on decaying wood in logs and stumps.  Adults beetles are thought to consume both sap and honeydew from leaves and trees. Female beetles lay their eggs in bark crevices in proximity to the roots.  The adult beetles come to lights at night. These beetles are generally found in wooded areas.  (White, 1983 and Bousquet (Ed.), 1991)