The European Stag Beetle is the biggest European beetle: The males can reach a size up to 8.6 cm and have a gigantic upper jaw resembling a pair of antlers. The Stag Beetle lives in deadwood, mainly in old oak forests. Along the former Iron Curtain, esp. around Austria it can be found frequently, while the intensification of forestry has led to a decline of populations in more centrally located areas.
Images: Johannes Gepp, Birgit Mair-Markart