Stag beetles are the UK largest beetle and spend most of their lives as larvae in decaying wood. Urban development and tidying of gardens and parks has eliminated much of the deadwood they require, causing population declines.
Stag beetle larvae in declining deadwood habitats complete their multi-year development successfully or starve as wood resources become exhausted or are removed. The removal of old stumps and deadwood from gardens eliminates years of larval development in a single act. Adults have only weeks to find mates and reproduce before death, making adequate habitat for emergence and flight critical to successful reproduction.