Our helping hands
The stag beetle is Britain’s largest terrestrial beetle, named because the male’s huge jaw-like mandibles look just like a stag’s antlers.People all over the world today and in the past have been trying to save this endangered species. Due to the loss of their habitat these beetles are becoming harder to find out in the wilderness. The main threat facing stag beetles is a significant loss of their habitat. Many woodlands were sold for development in the inter-war years and many of our surviving open urban spaces have sadly been developed since then. ‘Tidying up’ of woodlands, parks and gardens has led to the removal of dead or decaying wood habitats which is the stag beetle larvae’s food source. Tree surgery operations such as stump-grinding of felled trees removes a vital habitat for the beetle. They are also vulnerable to being crushed by traffic or feet. And changes in weather patterns are also likely to have an impact. Exceptionally dry or wet weather is likely to substantially affect the larvae, whilst wet and windy weather can inhibit adult beetles’ flying ability. More people are coming to this beetles rescue everyday. As part of our work to maintain their current geographical range across the country we are working on developing effective monitoring such as the bury buckets 4 beetles activity and stepping stones for stags activity. Further BAP work funded by PTES involves looking into what environmental factors affect the stag beetle and its larvae, in particular soil types, microbiology and changes in the climate. We are currently looking at MET office soil temperature data to see whether different temperatures affect when stag beetles emerge and therefore how long they have to breed.
Sources:
http://www.ptes.org/?page=192
For more information on helping this Stag beetle click the button below
Sources:
http://www.ptes.org/?page=192
For more information on helping this Stag beetle click the button below