Reddish-brown Stag Beetles: A Boom Year?

 

Needless to say, we were quite pleased with the appearance of this Reddish-brown Stag Beetle (Lucanus capreolus) on the evening of June 21, 2025. A group of us were at John Howard's place in Adams County, Ohio, mothing, and the beetle came into the illuminated sheet, as they sometimes do.

Face on with the formidable bug. Stag beetles are among our more impressive coleopterans and generally garner a reaction when they appear. I've heard from a number of people regarding sightings this summer, and it would seem that the beetles may be experiencing a boom year, as they sometimes do.

CLICK HERE to read a column I wrote about an irruption of stag beetles back in 2017.

And if you want to see the holy grail of stag beetles, at least in this part of the world, CLICK HERE.