Lucanus cervus

Scientific profile

Lucanus cervus is placed in the family Lucanidae. Mean body length across measured specimens is 4.7 cm, though literature values average 5.0 cm; mass averages 3.4 g. The head is 17.7 mm wide and 9.5 mm long, with eyes covering 2.9 mm² and projecting 1.9 mm in length. Mandibles are 19.0 mm long and 5.9 mm wide at the base (aspect 0.31), and the antennae reach 12.5 mm. The pronotum is 15.1 mm wide and 8.8 mm long. Elytra measure 24.6 mm in length and 10.2 mm in width. Whole-body width is 20.5 mm, height 12.3 mm, and roundness 0.60. The wings have a length of 38.8 mm, width of 16.3 mm, an area of 533 mm², a wing loading of 6.5, and an aspect ratio of 2.4. The front femur is 12.6 mm long and the front tibia 11.6 mm; the mid femur is 11.3 mm long and the mid tibia 9.8 mm; the hind femur is 9.7 mm long and the hind tibia 8.9 mm. Hairiness is moderate overall (total 5.8), denser on the dorsal head (6.8) than on the dorsal pronotum (5.3) or dorsal abdomen (5.4). The exoskeleton has a colour lightness value of 112.8, and the species shows a pronounced sexual size dimorphism (score 1.0).