ID of beetle possible Lucanus elaphus ?

[Tonypace2009]

Found this while catching moths to feed my mantids. So far   Lucanus elaphus   stag beetle is the closest I got to ID. Is this a female some photos show the female with shorter more serrated pincers The males have more elaborate heads and antler looking pincers but I'm not sure how beetles mature. Do males get the elaborate pincers at a later time? I know very little about beetles. I ran across a adult male stag beetle when I was a kid that was about 40 years ago its really cool to see one again. The one I found 40 years ago had the elaborate pincers. I remember this beetle very well because It was going to be my first bug photo ever. Inst ed I got my butt tore up by dad because I wasted a Polaroid picture on a bug. Any way any info on this beetle is greatly appreciated.  

 

[BringontheBugs]

That's an adult male Lucanus capreolus, here's a link from bugguide with some info on them: http://bugguide.net/node/view/3107

I recently found a stag beetle too, mine is an adult male Lucanus placidus, your's is much more beautiful with the dark red coloration!

 

[Tonypace2009]

That's an adult male Lucanus capreolus, here's a link from bugguide with some info on them: http://bugguide.net/node/view/3107

I recently found a stag beetle too, mine is an adult male Lucanus placidus, your's is much more beautiful with the dark red coloration!

Thanks we have a huge rotting stump in our front yard I am pretty sure there will be more of these finding there way to our porch. Do people keep these or is it best just to let it go ?  I have a a 5 gallon aquarium that has a natural isopod environment with rotting wood in it and from natural composting, good soil in it. Still has isopods in it would this be good environment for beetle? 

 

[BringontheBugs]

That sounds like a great environment for it, but I can't say I've heard of people keeping these. My L.placidus is on the brink of death, most likely because I  didn't provide it with diluted maple syrup or sugar water( tried to give it fruits and beetle jelly, I thought they could live off of beetle jelly but maybe not), so if you decide on keeping it you should definitely give it some diluted maple syrup or sugar water.

 

[Tonypace2009]

I make sugar water for the humming birds all the time so no problem there.from my understanding the normally eat maple sap. The  stump in our yard  is a old sweet gum tree I wonder if I could also try sweet gum sap. also have a sweet gum tree a few feet from rotting stump. I think  I will try to keep him for a short while if he doesn't do well I will Let him go. After looking at the pictures from bug guide I'am sure I found a female last year in the old stump. the land lord want's to grind the stump down so I may dig around a little to find any more in the stump before the stump is demolished. Hope fully save a few of them and try to relocate them. The stump is full of carpenter ants and the maintenance guy wants to spray for them either way I feel I need to do something maybe try to breed a few and relocate the rest.