Completed
European Stag Beetle
Lucanus cervus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumArthropoda (Arthropods)
- ClassInsecta (Insects)
- OrderColeoptera (Beetles)
- FamilyLucanidae (Stag Beetles)
- GenusLucanus
- SpeciesLucanus cervus (European Stag Beetle)
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
27 Verified sightings at Bavarian Forest National Park From 2019 to 2026
505 In all 10 parks
June Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted
About the European Stag Beetle
Lucanus cervus, known as the European stag beetle, or the greater stag beetle, is one of the best-known species of stag beetle (family Lucanidae) in Western Europe, and is the eponymous example of the genus. L. cervus is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List.
Lucanus cervus is situated in the genus Lucanus within the family Lucanidae. The species L. cervus contains four subspecies. The nominate subspecies L. cervus cervus (Linnaeus, 1758) was established via the original description of the species in 1758.
The European stag beetle is the largest beetle in Europe. Their colour is usually black with reddish elytra (and red mandibles in males). Sexually dimorphic, the males have enlarged mandibles and are larger than the females. Although the male's mandibles seem threatening, they are too weak to be harmful. Nevertheless, females can inflict a painful bite. The resemblance of the male's mandibles to... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of European Stag Beetle in Bavarian Forest National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 2 | Plitvice Lakes National Park | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 3 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 7 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 10 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Closest Relatives at Bavarian Forest National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a European Stag Beetle in Bavarian Forest National Park?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a European Stag Beetle sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 182nd most-seen of the 1115 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a European Stag Beetle in Bavarian Forest National Park?
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a European Stag Beetle in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to April, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a European Stag Beetle?
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most European Stag Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Is Bavarian Forest National Park the best place to see a European Stag Beetle?
9th of 10
Of the 10 parks where we can rate European Stag Beetle sightings, Bavarian Forest National Park ranks 9th at about 10%. The best odds are in Triglav National Park (Slovenia, about 40%), Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia, about 40%) and Picos de Europa National Park (Spain, about 20%).
Where does the European Stag Beetle sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Stag Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Bavarian Forest National Park (27 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
