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

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#5471
Lucanus capreolus - female

Lucanus capreolus - Female
Hwy 55 and Sedwick area, Durham County, North Carolina, USA
July 30, 2004
Found at a light. Chilled and posed. This appears to be a female, based on the small size of the jaws. This is a presumption. I know that in many of the horned scarabs, there are "major" and "minor" males. The minors have small jaws, like a female, and attempt to sneak matings, basically, masquerading as females. (I need to find the reference on this!) The same thing could be true in stag beetles, which are close relatives of the scarabs.
Image updated 7/18/21.

Images of this individual: tag all
Lucanus capreolus - female Lucanus capreolus - female Lucanus capreolus - female

Sneaker males
Interesting that you mention this.
Many, many years ago, I drew a beetle for a class in life sciences illustration. I had collected the specimen in Malaysia in the 70s.
ABT Cover
Checking on an ID, my entomology prof from college mentioned the family, but said it would be impossible to tell the sex because it could be a female or a sneaker male.
The sneaker male phenomenon occurs in many taxa, with varying degrees of behavioral and/or morphological differences between males. You can google "alternative reproductive strategies."
I think the "alternative" is a bit off, as this "strategy" occurs so often.

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.