A Guide to Stag Beetles of Australia

A Guide to Stag Beetles of Australia
ISBN: 9781486302086
Publication Date: 20 December 2017

Most Australian stag beetles live secretive lives. Some species spend their entire life cycle inside decaying timber or under logs sunken into the soil. Yet these active recyclers of the forest are admired by beetle-loving people worldwide.

Their aesthetic appeal and the rarity of some species make them of great value to collectors: the beetles in the subfamily Lampriminae are splendidly colourful, while others show an amazing variety in male mandible size and structure.

A Guide to Stag Beetles of Australia is a comprehensive account of the 98 lucanid species found in Australia. This book reveals their diversity and beauty, looks in detail at their morphology, habitats and ecology, and explains how to collect, keep and preserve them. Natural history enthusiasts and professional and amateur coleopterists alike will benefit from the use of this guide.

The book features some stunning images from entomologist and photographer Paul Zborowski. Paul has over 40 years' experience of field-based study of insects and related creatures in habitats all over the world's tropics, and operates a specialist image bank at close-up-photolibrary website.

About the Author

George Hangay has studied beetles in many parts of the world but has focused on the Australian fauna during the last four decades. After retiring from the Australian Museum, where he worked as Chief Preparator, he took part in various projects as a consultant, curated the insect collection of AQIS (NSW) and wrote several books. He continues to collaborate with many Australian and overseas coleopterists.

Roger de Keyzer works for the NSW Environment Protection Authority and is an internationally known entomologist, specialising in stag and longicorn beetles. He is an associate of the Australian Mus...