COLEOPTERA. 



555 



a substance resembling very coarse sawdust. They mature 

 slowly ; it is said that the larvae of some of the larger species 

 require six years to complete their growth. 



The family is a small one ; only fourteen North Ameri- 

 can species are at present known. 



The Common Stag-beetle, Lucanus dama (Lu-ca'nus da'- 

 ma). — The most common of our Stag-beetles is this species 

 (Fig. 672). It flies by night with a 

 loud buzzing sound, and is often at- 

 tracted to lights in houses. The larva 

 is a large whitish grub resembling the 

 larvae of the Lamellicorn Beetles. It 

 is found in the trunks and roots of 

 old, partially decayed trees, especially 

 apple, cherry, willow, and oak. The 

 specimen figured here is a male ; in 

 the female the mandibles are shorter. 



The Giant Stag-beetle, Lucanus 

 £laphus (L. el'a-phus), is a large species 

 found in the South. It measures from 

 one and one-half inches to two inches 

 in length, not including the mandibles, which in the case of 

 the male are more than half as long as the body, and 

 branched like the antlers of a stag. 



The Antelope Beetle, Dor cits parallelus 

 (Dor'cus par-al-le'lus). — This beetle is 

 somewhat smaller than the species of Lu- 

 canus, and differs in having the wing-covers 

 marked with longitudinal striae 

 and the teeth on the outside 

 of the fore tibiae much smaller 



(Fig- 673.) 



Several species of stag-bee- 

 tles that are much smaller 

 than Dorcus are found in this 

 country. 



Fig. 672. 



Fig. 673. 



Fig. 674. 



