Giant Stag Beetle Larva

Description

The Lucanus elaphus giant stag beetle is the largest stag beetle in the United States, deserving its common name. They are also sometimes called elk stag beetles on account of the massive horns the males display.

Photo shown is of a dried male specimen with its wings spread. This listing is for a single unsexed, captive-bred, large L2/L3 larva (an immature in the grub stage). Beetles go through 3 instars as larvae before they pupate and become adults. The third instar takes the longest to complete.

The larvae feed on decaying wood from hardwood trees like oak, beech, alder, maple, ash, etc. They will ship in a small amount of substrate that could sustain them for a month, but you really should have a plan for acquiring the suitable wood before getting them and enough of it to provide a habitat suitable for pupation. I sell a beetle “flake soil substrate” that is suitable for this (see related products below).

I highly recommend the book in the related products section below to anybody investing in these. Basically, as larvae these eat decaying wood from hardwood trees like oak, maple, beech, etc. This substrate should not get too dry.

Learn more in the video below…