''Platycerus caraboides'' is a species of

stag beetle Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections ...

belonging to the family Lucanidae, subfamily

Lucaninae The Lucaninae comprise the largest subfamily of the stag beetles (Lucanidae). Characteristics include partial to complete division of the eyes by a canthus, geniculate antennae, and distinctly separated coxae. The body is typically elongate ...

Subspecies

Subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

include: *''Platycerus caraboides caerulosus'' Didier & Ségui, 1953 *''Platycerus caraboides caraboides'' (Linnaeus, 1758)

Distribution

These beetles are present in most of Europe ( Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, Ukraine and United Kingdom), in Asia (

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, Iran, Kazakhstan,

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

, Turkey) and in North Africa ( Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) Fauna Europaea

Description

''Platycerus caraboides'' can reach a body length of about . These beetles have flat body, metallic black, steel blue or greenish. Antennae are geniculate, with a club of 3 items, Jaws are denticulate at the inner edge and also in the male they are shorter than the head.
This species can be easily distinguished as a stag beetle by its geniculate (elbowed)

antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...

e. This species is very similar to ''

Platycerus caprea ''Platycerus caprea'' is a species of beetle, from the subfamily Lucaninae of family Lucanidae. It was discovered by Charles De Geer in 1774, and was thus the first known member of its genus. Appearance It has a dark blue body 10–13 m ...

'' (De Geer, 1774).

Biology

Adults can mostly be encountered from May through July, flying around during the day in deciduous forests or staying on the ground on rotten branches. The predominantly host-plants are broadleaf plants, but also conifers (mainly '' Pinus'' species). The larvae usually live on decayed wood of oak and beech.

References

Soortenbank
Lucaninae Beetles of Europe Beetles described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Articles containing video clips {{Lucanidae-stub