THE STAG BEETLES. 



905 



ee. Front of head with a short bent horn, pointing forward; larger, 

 30 or more mm. V. Passalus. 



M. Form short, oval, convex, the sides not parallel ; elytra coarsely punc- 

 tured, not striate, pubescent. VI. Nicagus. 



I. Lucaxus Linn. 1763. (L., "to shine.") 



Large, smooth, brownish species with very prominent mandibles, 

 which are most strongly developed in the males. The mentum, as 

 in the next two genera, is very broad, completely covering the maxil- 

 la?. Three of the four known species occur in Indiana. 



KEY TO INDIANA SPECIES OF LUCANUS. 



a. Mandibles of male as long as abdomen; female with black legs and 

 chestnut brown elytra. 1715. elaphus. 



a a. Mandibles of male as long as thorax. 



b. Mandibles each with one tooth on the inner side; head of male 

 broader than thorax; femora light brown. 1716. dama. 



hb. Mandibles straight, with several teeth on inner side in male, two 

 ill-defined ones in female : head of male not broader than thorax ; 

 femora dark brown or nearly black. 1717. placidus. 



1715 (5411). 



Lucanus elaphus Fab.. 

 Syst. Ent.. 1T9S. 2. 



Dark chestnut-brown, shining ; legs 



and antenna? black or nearly so. Head 



of male much wider than thorax, with 



a strong crest above the eyes; mandi- 

 bles very long, widely forked at apex, 



the inner edge with numerous small 



teeth ; mentum of female comparatively 



longer, much more quadrate and with 



front angles much less rounded than in 



those of female of dama. Antenna? of 



male more slender than in the other 



species. Length of male (not including 



mandibles) 31-40 mm.; of female 



2S mm. (Fig. 354.) 



A species of southern range, 

 represented in the collection by five 

 males and one female, taken in 

 Yigo, Monroe and Crawford coun- 

 ties. May 20-August 21. Occurs 

 about old oak stumps, though sometimes in gardens. The females 

 are verv rare. 



Fig. 354. Xatural_size. (After Fuchs.) 



1716 (5412). Lucanus dama Thunb.. Meinr. Mosc. 1S06. 19S. 



This species is sufficiently distinguished by the characters given in 

 kev. It is the only one of the three which has light brown femora. The 



