The stag beetle is a striking variety of beetles belonging to the Lucanidae family of the Coleoptera order. There are nearly 1,800 recorded species of family in the world, with more than 60% of them distributed throughout southeast Asia and 266 known species in China.

Most stag beetles are popular and become featured in insect collections because of their large size, strange appearance, and ease of capture. As a famous ornamental insect, many collectors even keep them as pets. Almost all male stag beetles have a pair of large, mighty-looking mandible used in courtship displays and to wrestle other male beetles. Adult males vary in size from 35mm-75mm long and tend to be seen flying at dusk in the summer looking for a mate.

Female beetles are smaller at between 30-50mm long, with smaller mandibles. They are often seen on the ground looking for somewhere to lay their eggs.

The Chinese name for the stag beetle is - hoe-shaped beetle -, derived from its Japanese name ''kuwagatamuji''. ''Kuwataga'' in this case refers to the "hoe-shaped helmet crest" worn by Japanese samurai in ancient times. With their large mandibles and hard shiny bodies, stag beetles look like majestic warriors dressed in armor. Like a samurai, the stag beetle also likes to fight. Their large mandibles, equipped with sharp teeth, are their weapons. Although they rarely provoke other insects and stick to defending themselves against attacks, males will battle each other to impress females. The loser is tossed aside by the winner, but is seldom injured, thanks to their armor.

A fully-grown stag beetle larva can be up to 110mm long. They're fairly smooth skinned, have orange head and legs and brown jaws. They are nearly always found below ground and can be as deep as half a metre down.