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Breeding stag beetles(lucanus cervus) for local area

2K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  Pole 
#1 ·
i posted this in wildlife but i was adviced to post it here. well basically stags are reducing in population here so I'm starting to put together a breeding program and i was wondering if anyone had advice for that. thanks
 
#2 ·
Aren't they a protected species? As great as the idea sounds how are you sourcing them?
 
#4 ·
not sure how well protected they are, as everyone seems to be allowed to kill them. they are going to be wild caught and released after breeding.

They're a protected species and besides that their life cycle takes around 6 years, of which a very large majority is spent as a grub which require a fungi to break down the wood that they feed on.
sounds good, thanks for information.
 
#11 ·
I'd say your best bet is to provide an outdoor area that promotes their breeding.
The lives of stag beetles, as opposed to grubs, is short, so we only see them during the mating season. Therefore, taking them out of this cycle isn't doing them any good at all. Note the comment in one of the links below "The best thing to do if you find a stag beetle (adult or larva) is to leave it alone, unless it is in immediate danger e.g. from predators or drowning."

I understand your concerns, but to be honest you need to educate yourself a bit more before trying to help the situation.
You could start here: stag beetle facts and ID guide | people's trust for endangered species| mtuk & ptes
and here:
how to help stag beetles | people's trust for endangered species| mtuk & ptes
But there are plenty of other sites.
 
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#12 ·
I'd say your best bet is to provide an outdoor area that promotes their breeding.
The lives of stag beetles, as opposed to grubs, is short, so we only see them during the mating season. Therefore, taking them out of this cycle isn't doing them any good at all. Note the comment in one of the links below "The best thing to do if you find a stag beetle (adult or larva) is to leave it alone, unless it is in immediate danger e.g. from predators or drowning."

I understand your concerns, but to be honest you need to educate yourself a bit more before trying to help the situation.
You could start here: stag beetle facts and ID guide | people's trust for endangered species| mtuk & ptes
and here:
how to help stag beetles | people's trust for endangered species| mtuk & ptes
But there are plenty of other sites.
already did, but their population is still reducing. any stag beetle here is pretty much in danger of the large cat population and the lawn mowers. I just want to have a good captive stock so that the population has something to fall back on, and that there is a higher ratio of larvae surviving to adulthood to adults that bred, as many adult beetles are mowed down or killed when travelling to breeding sites.. I am constantly researching sap collection, larvae care and maintenance.
 
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