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Genus Lucanus
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 Lucanus
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Lucanus Scopoli 1763:1 masculine
= Pseudolucanus Hope in Westwood 1845: 30
= Hexaphyllus Mulsant 1839: 119
Pseudolucanus, now included within Lucanus by many authorities. (1) (2) Certain North American species ( bicostatus (=mazama), capreolus, mazama, placidus) were long listed as Pseudolucanus, with only elaphus under Lucanus. Most field guides still follow that listing. (Based on comments by Phil Harpootlian under Pseudolucanus, now deleted here.) Explanation of Names Author of genus Scopoli, J. A. 1763. Entomologia Carniolica exhibens insecta Carnioliæ indigena et distributa in ordines, genera, species, varietates. Methodo Linnæana. - pp. [1-35], 1-420, [1]. Vindobonae. (Trattner).
According to Maria Fremlin - From Lucania (an ancient district of southern Italy, extending from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Gulf of Taranto); This is the Latin name used by Plinius the Elder to describe the stag beetle (Natural History, Book XI, Chapter 34). Probably this description made Linnaeus * choose Lucanus as the generic name for stag beetles.
* credited to Scopoli Numbers Lucanus capreolus (Linnaeus 1763: 391) - Eastern North America (incl. Canada)
= Lucanus dama Fabricius 1775: 2
= Lucanus trigonus Thunberg 1806: 199
= Lucanus muticus Thunberg 1806: 205
Lucanus elaphus Fabricius 1775: 2 - Eastern North America (incl. Canada)
= Lucanus carlengi Angell 1916: 70
Lucanus mazama (LeConte 1861: 345) - Western North America
= Pseudolucanus bicostatus Angell 1916: 70
Lucanus placidus Say 1825: 202 - Eastern North America ( Canada, NC, PA, KY, OK, WI, IN, MI, evidently not in the SE, not seen from SC or FL)
= Lucanus lentus Laporte 1840: 171
= Lucanus rupicapra Dejean 1833: 174 (nomen nudum) Range Includes eastern and southwestern North America. Other members of genus in Eurasia, elsewhere (?)
Eastern North American species include: L. elaphus, L. capreolus, and L. placidus. Lucanus mazama is found in the southwest (Arizona). See Also Some large ground beetles, such as Pasimachus or Scarites are similar, but note the clubbed antennae of Lucanus, the thread-like or beaded antennae of Pasimachus. Print References Dillon illustrates L. elaphus, L. capreolus, and L. placidus, the latter two listed under Pseudolucanus. (3)
Chu, How to Know the Immature Insects, p. 87, fig. 209, illustrates larvae of Lucanidae, showing distinctive pads around transverse anus (4). Works Cited | 4. | How to Know the Immature Insects
By Hung-Fu Chu, Laurence K Cutkomp |  |
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