Lucanus elaphus
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Lucanus elaphus, the giant stag beetle, elk stag beetle, or erroneously as the elephant stag beetle, is a beetle of the family Lucanidae native to eastern North America. They are sometimes kept as pets. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Elk Stag Beetle sighting in Congaree National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 99th most-seen of the 145 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.
June
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Elk Stag Beetle in Congaree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to April, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Elk Stag Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Elk Stag Beetle sightings, Congaree National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, under 5%).
Same order: Coleoptera
The closest relatives of the Elk Stag Beetle that you can see in Congaree National Park (order Coleoptera, Beetles) are Eastern Eyed Click Beetle (about 20%), Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle (about 20%) and Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Elk Stag Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Congaree National Park (7 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.
