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Pseudolucanus placidus - Say, 1825
now
Lucanus placidus [1]

Identification hints:
Very dark reddish brown to black.
19-32 mm long (including the mandibles).
Mandibles with several teeth on inner edge in male, straight and not sharply pointed. The female has smaller pointed jaws, with just one indistinct tooth inside.
Their larvae feed in dead or decaying logs and stumps.

Below are pictures identified with he help of Dr. Frank Guarnieri.

Female Lucanus placidus

Female Pseudolucanus placidus, dorsal view. Conneaut, OH, 10 May de 2004. Photo by Michele Pitonyak Female Pseudolucanus placidus, defensive position. Conneaut, OH, 10 May de 2004. Photo by Michele Pitonyak Female Pseudolucanus placidus, ventral view. Conneaut, OH, 10 May de 2004. Photo by Michele Pitonyak

Photos by Michele Pitonyak, Conneaut, OH, 10 May 2004.

Things to observe:
Mandibles shorter than the pronutum, with just one inner tooth.
Very developed front legs tibia particularly in the females.
Very black underneath, which is a very important identification clue. I've got a hunch that probably some people are mixing them up with the Pinching Bug Lucanus capreolus, but the latter have got golden femurs and their mandibles are quite different. See below for a comparative photo that I've taken of dried specimens.

Male Lucanus placidus

Male Lucanus placidus. Photo by Rae Ann Gallati, 17 June 2005.

Photo by Rae Ann Gallati, MN, 17 June 2005.

Things to observe:
Mandibles as long as the pronutum, with several inner tooth.

This beetle was found in remarkable circumstances, click on the photo to find out more about it in the Bugguide where I've uploaded a photo-story.

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Lucanus placidus mandibles compared with the pinching bug

Lucanus placidus nad Lucanus capreolus mandibles. Photo by Maria Fremlin, 14 February 2006

Female and male Lucanus placidus, left and middle, Lucanus capreolus male, right.
Photo by Maria Fremlin, 14 February 2006.

For more click here.

It would be lovely to have more finds of this beetle and to know its common names as well.
If you happen to see some, please show your finds directly in the Bugguide.

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[1] - Checklist of the Scarabaeoidea of the Nearctic Realm

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