Stag Beetle vs Italian Snakefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Stag Beetle Italian Snakefly
Scientific Name Lucanus cervus Subilla confinis
Order Coleoptera Raphidioptera
Family Lucanidae Raphidiidae
Size 25-75 mm (males with mandibles) 10-14 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Europe Southern Europe, Mediterranean region
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Stag Beetle

Europes largest beetle. Males have dramatically enlarged mandibles resembling antlers, used in wrestling contests for females. Larvae develop in rotting wood for 3-7 years.

💡

Did You Know?

Male stag beetles spend up to seven years as larvae feeding on decaying wood underground before emerging for just a few weeks as adults to find a mate.

Italian Snakefly

A Mediterranean snakefly found in warm woodlands of southern Europe. It is associated with pine and oak forests where larvae develop under loose bark.

💡

Did You Know?

Mediterranean snakeflies are adapted to warmer climates than most of their relatives and can tolerate drier conditions.