ES Views: Wild London: Stag beetles come out for summer

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Stag beetles, despite being prominent in London, are globally endangered extinct across much of Britain
19 May 2017
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London’s giant thunder beetles have awoken, stirred by recent warm, muggy evenings. Commonly known as stag beetles, they are Britain’s largest land beetle and can be big enough to fill an adult’s hand. They seem to prefer sultry summer evenings an hour or two before dusk, hence the name thunder beetle, as they are seen flying before storms.

Globally endangered and extinct across much of Britain, the beetle still survives in London, and is frequently spotted between May and late July. For reasons that are still unclear they are found mainly across south London, with pockets in west London and around Epping Forest.

The male sports ferocious looking mandibles — the “antlers” — which look as if they could give a serious pinch. In fact, they use these specially adapted mouthparts to wrestle other male stag beetles, fighting for female attention. Only the males fly, with a clumsy, buzzing flight that makes them look like drunken stealth helicopters.

As adults they typically live for just a few weeks, but as larvae they spend four to seven years fattening up on the wood of tree stumps or logs. Many London parks now deliberately leave such dead wood in place, providing a home for stag beetles and other wildlife.

Their short adult lives are not without risk: they make a crunchy snack for foxes, magpies and crows, they’re an unfortunate plaything for cats, and of course there’s always the risk of being crushed beneath car wheels or on pavements.

At London Wildlife Trust we don’t just create and protect habitats for stag beetles and other wildlife, we’ve also been recording sightings of these awe-inspiring beetles for 20 years, and we’d love to know if you spot one. Understanding where they live in London will help us ensure their survival.

The London Wildlife Trust campaigns to protect the capital's wildlife and wild spaces. It is backed by Sir David Attenborough, President Emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts.

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