Ricerc@Sapienza

1. The stag beetle, Lucanus cervus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera:
Lucanidae), is a flagship species for the conservation of European old-growth
forests. Despite its popularity and many studies conducted, the lack of knowledge
of its habits and ecological requirements leads to difficulties in locating the
species in the field and to provide information for suitable planning conservation
actions suitable for the species.
2. In order to gather information on dispersal ability and space use, a radiotelemetry
study was conducted in a relict floodplain forest surrounded by intensively
cultivated land. During 2014 and 2015, from May to July, 55 beetles (34
males, 21 females) were radio-tagged, and 9 of these (7 males, 2 females) were
telemetered immediately after the emergence from their development sites, by
means of emergence traps.
3. The use of radio-telemetry allowed to detect the oviposition sites and to
study the first part of the adult life, when they resulted to be more active. Males
were more prone to disperse than females but the home range size did not differ
between the sexes. Dividing the season in three intervals, the most active individuals
were recorded during the first and the second ones (first and second half
of June).