The stag beetle Lucanus cervus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Lucanidae): a mark-release-recapture study undertaken in one United Kingdom residential garden

Abstract

In the UK, dead wood present in residential gardens provides a signifi cant resource for stag beetles (Lucanus cervus). Data obtained in a mark-release-recapture study, undertaken from June to August 2006 in one residential garden in the county of Suffolk, using a marking technique developed specifically for use with L. cervus, suggest that dispersal of the insect is very limited. This is a factor which needs to be considered when planning for its conservation.