| Sinodendron cylindricum | |
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| A male on a log | |
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| Species: | S. cylindricum |
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| Sinodendron cylindricum | |
The rhinoceros stag beetle [2] (Sinodendron cylindricum), also known as the horned stag beetle, or simply the rhinoceros beetle, is a species of stag beetle native to Europe. [3] [4] It is characterised by a clear sexual dimorphism. [5]
The beetles reach a body length of 12 to 16 millimeters and have a very shiny, black body, sometimes with turquoise sheen. [6] Despite being in the family Lucanidae (stag beetles), they look rather like true rhinoceros beetles, which are well known for their rhinoceros-like horn. The body is cylindrical and the elytra and thorax have distinct rows of pits and grooves. [7] The males have a well-developed horn on their heads, which is significantly smaller in the females. In addition, the cavities on the pronotum in the female are much shallower than the distinct cavities in the male. The larvae are white and soft with brown heads. [6]
With the exception of southwestern Spain and Portugal and northern Scandinavia, the species occurs throughout the European continent and the British Isles to western Siberia. The beetle prefers primary deciduous forests at cooler and higher altitudes, but can also be found in old willow stands, avenue and street trees, parkland, hedgerows, [6] and fruit trees.
Like all beetles, these insects go through complete metamorphosis, starting as a larva, which is soft and white going through several instars before becoming a pupa and then reaching maturity, emerging in Spring or Summer. The larvae develop mainly in white rotten wood of various deciduous trees, varying from tree stumps to logs. The range of proven food plants includes oak, beech, birch, alder, hornbeam, aspen, willow, linden, maple, horse chestnut, ash, rowan, apple, cherries, pears, plums and firs. In addition, the species is often associated with the flat lacquer polypore ( Ganoderma applanatum ), the tinder fungus ( Fomes fomentarius ) and the oak fire agaric ( Fomitiporia robusta ). Their development takes three to four years, pupation takes place in the wood. [5]
S. cylindricum larvae feed on rotting wood, whereas the adults feed on tree sap. [6]
The species is rare in Central Europe, it is listed as "endangered" (category 3) in the Red List of Threatened Species in Germany, only in North Rhine-Westphalia is the species considered "endangered" (category 2) and in other federal states as " potentially endangered". In Baden-Württemberg this species is not classified as endangered. [5]
Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies. Some species grow to over 12 centimetres, but most to about 5 cm (2 in).
The great spotted woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly. Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head. This species is found across the Palearctic including parts of North Africa. Across most of its range it is resident, but in the north some will migrate if the conifer cone crop fails. Some individuals have a tendency to wander, leading to the recent recolonisation of Ireland and to vagrancy to North America. Great spotted woodpeckers chisel into trees to find food or excavate nest holes, and also drum for contact and territorial advertisement; like other woodpeckers, they have anatomical adaptations to manage the physical stresses from the hammering action. This species is similar to the Syrian woodpecker.
The pileated woodpecker is a large, mostly black woodpecker native to North America. An insectivore, it inhabits deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific Coast. It is the largest extant woodpecker species in North America, with the possible exception of the ivory-billed woodpecker, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed be reclassified as extinct. It is also the third largest species of woodpecker in the world, after the great slaty woodpecker and the black woodpecker. "Pileated" refers to the bird's prominent red crest, from the Latin pileatus meaning "capped".
The red-bellied woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker of the family Picidae. It breeds mainly in the eastern United States, ranging as far south as Florida and as far north as Canada. Though it has a vivid orange-red crown and nape it is not to be confused with the red-headed woodpecker, a separate species of woodpecker in the same genus with an entirely red head and neck that sports a solid black back and white belly. The red-bellied earns its name from the pale reddish blush of its lower underside.
The red-cockaded woodpecker is a woodpecker endemic to the southeastern United States.
The violet click beetle is a black beetle, 12 mm (0.5 in) long, with a faint blue/violet reflection. It gets its name from the family habit of springing upwards with an audible click if it falls on its back. It occurs in Europe.
The scalloped oak is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
The noble chafer is a species of beetles belonging to the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Cetoniinae.
Dynastinae or rhinoceros beetles are a subfamily of the scarab beetle family (Scarabaeidae). Other common names – some for particular groups of rhinoceros beetles – include Hercules beetles, unicorn beetles or horn beetles. Over 1500 species and 225 genera of rhinoceros beetles are known.
Dynastes tityus, the eastern Hercules beetle, is a species of rhinoceros beetle native to the Eastern United States. The adult's elytra are green, gray or tan, with black markings, and the whole animal, including the male's horns, may reach 60 mm (2.4 in) in length. The larvae feed on decaying wood from various trees.
The fox squirrel, also known as the eastern fox squirrel or Bryant's fox squirrel, is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. Despite the differences in size and coloration, it is sometimes mistaken for American red squirrels or eastern gray squirrels in areas where the species co-exist.
Lucanus cervus, the European stag beetle, is one of the best-known species of stag beetle in Western Europe, and is the eponymous example of the genus. L. cervus is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List.
Dorcus parallelipipedus, the lesser stag beetle, is a species of stag beetle found in Europe.
Sinodendron rugosum is a species of the family Lucanidae, the stag beetles. It is commonly referred to as the rugose stag beetle, and is the only known member of the genus Sinodendron to occur in western North America.
Arhopalus rusticus is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
Agrilus biguttatus is a species of beetle in the family Buprestidae, the jewel beetles. Common names include oak splendour beetle, oak buprestid beetle, and two-spotted oak borer. It is native to Europe, North Africa, and Siberia. This beetle is known as a pest that causes damage to oak trees and is a factor in oak decline.
Geodorcus capito is a large flightless species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is endemic to the Chatham Islands in New Zealand.
Platypus cylindrus, commonly known as the oak pinhole borer, is a species of ambrosia beetle in the weevil family Scolytinae. The adults and larvae burrow under the bark of mature oak trees. It is native to Europe.
Tillus elongatus is a species of beetle in the Family of checkered beetles Cleridae. It is found in the Palearctic. The “Holz” in the German common name Holzbuntkäfer indicates that these checkered beetles are found in wood. Although Tillus elongatus can reach up to a size of 1 cm long, the beetle is rarely seen by humans, as it primarily resides hidden in the wood of trees. The colouration of the males differs from that of the females.
Typhaeus typhoeus, or the minotaur beetle, is a beetle in the family Geotrupidae, also referred to as earth-boring dung beetles. They are native to Europe. The beetle is named after the Typhon, a giant of Greek mythology.