Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes


TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData

Genus Platycerus

black beetle - Platycerus virescens stag beetle - Platycerus virescens - female Small Stag Beetle - Platycerus oregonensis - female Platycerus virescens stag beetle - Platycerus virescens - female Platycerus oregonensis - male Platycerus oregonensis - male Platycerus marginalis - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)
Superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Scarab, Stag and Bess Beetles)
Family Lucanidae (Stag Beetles)
Genus Platycerus
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Platycerus Geoffroy 1762
Systenocerus Weise 1883
Systenus Sharp and Muir 1912
Numbers
Five NA species: P. cribripennis Van Dyke 1928, P. depressus LeConte 1850, Platycerus marginalis Casey 1897, P. oregonensis Westwood 1844, and P. virescens (Fabricius 1775)
Identification
Eyes entire:

without a canthus--present in Dorcus (1).
See Also
Related, generally larger stag beetles of genus Dorcus.

Ground beetles of genus Scarites are superficially similar. Note clubbed antennae of Platycerus versus thread-like, or beaded, antennae of Scarites:
Print References
Dillon (1)
Internet References
Generic Guide to New World Scarabs--gives synonymies, range of species (see also genus account)
Works Cited
1.A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America
By Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence