Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Scarabaeoidea » Stag Beetles (Lucanidae) » Lucaninae » Platycerini » Platycerus

Genus Platycerus

Memphis Bioblitz 2016 Platycerus - Platycerus quercus

Platycerus oregonensis? - Platycerus oregonensis - male

Scarabaeoidea - Clackamas, OR - Platycerus

Oak Stag Beetle - Platycerus quercus - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

Superfamily Scarabaeoidea

Family Lucanidae (Stag Beetles)

Subfamily Lucaninae

Tribe Platycerini

Genus Platycerus

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Systenocerus Weise 1883, Systenus Sharp & Muir 1912

Explanation of Names

Platycerus Geoffroy 1762

Numbers

27 spp. total, 5 in the New World (all confined to our area)(1)

Identification

Eyes entire:

without a canthus--present in Dorcus(2)

Range

Holarctic; in our area, across so. Canada and most of the US, with only 1 sp. (P. quercus) in the se. quarter(3)

See Also

similar lucanids from other genera:

Ground beetles of genus Scarites are superficially similar. Note clubbed antennae of Platycerus versus thread-like, or beaded, antennae of Scarites:

Print References

Paulsen M.J., Caterino M.S. (2009) The Platycerus (Coleoptera, Lucanidae) of California, with the recognition of Platycerus cribripennis Van Dyke as a valid species. Zookeys 8: 89-94 doi: 10.3897/zookeys.8.118

Works Cited

1.	Paulsen M.J. (2013) Annotated checklist of the New World Lucanidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)

2.	A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence. 1961. Row, Peterson, and Company.

3.	Generic Guide to New World Scarab Beetles (by Brett Ratcliffe and Mary Liz Jameson)

Contributed by tom murray on 12 May, 2005 - 8:11pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Phillip Harpootlian, nebbeetle, v belov
Last updated 27 September, 2017 - 1:05pm

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