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1ww
w.r
ubyt
uesd
aybo
oks.
com
/sci
ence
KS2
©
Usi
ng in
form
atio
n fr
om p
20 a
nd 2
1 of
Let
’s In
vest
igat
e A
nim
al L
ives
and
Life
Cyc
les,
fil
l in
the
mis
sing
key
ter
ms
to c
ompl
ete
this
life
cyc
le o
f a s
tag
beet
le
1. U
nder
grou
nd, b
enea
th a
dea
d tr
ee s
tum
p, a
sta
g be
etle
____
____
____
hat
ches
from
a li
ttle
whi
te e
gg.
2. W
rigg
ling
up in
to t
he t
ree
stum
p,
the
hung
ry la
rva
feed
s of
f of
____
____
____
___
___
____
____
___.
T
hey
have
mou
thpa
rts
calle
d __
____
____
____
___
that
the
y us
e to
che
w a
nd b
ite t
he w
ood.
The
larv
a co
ntin
ues
to d
o th
is, g
row
ing
bigg
er
and
bigg
er fo
r __
____
____
__ y
ears
.
3. O
ne d
ay, t
he la
rva
mak
es
a __
____
____
aro
und
itsel
f fr
om s
oil a
nd w
ood.
Thi
s ta
kes
arou
nd _
____
____
__
____
____
____
_.
4. In
side
the
coc
oon,
the
la
rva
burs
ts o
ut o
f its
old
ex
oske
leto
n an
d em
erge
s as
a
____
____
___.
Aft
er a
bout
__
____
____
____
____
__ it
s ou
ter
cove
ring
spl
its a
nd u
nder
neat
h is
th
e be
etle
’s ad
ult
body
.
5. T
he s
tag
beet
le d
igs
up
to t
he s
urfa
ce a
nd s
tart
s to
look
for
a _
____
____
. M
ale
stag
bee
tles
are
very
te
rrito
rial
. The
y w
ill c
hoos
e an
are
a to
rul
e an
d if
any
othe
r m
ales
try
to
take
ove
r th
at a
rea,
the
re w
ill b
e a
____
____
____
_.
6. O
nce
a fe
mal
e ha
s m
ated
, she
will
hea
d ba
ck t
o w
here
she
live
d as
a la
rva.
She
will
dig
dow
n in
to
the
soil
and
lay
abou
t __
____
__ t
iny
whi
te e
ggs.
In d
oing
so,
she
is s
tart
ing
the
life
cycl
e of
f aga
in.
Adu
lt st
ag b
eetle
s liv
e ab
ove
grou
nd fo
r ab
out
____
____
___
____
__.
The
life
cycl
e of
a S
tag
Bee
tle
2
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Stag beetles: the threats they face
As you have discovered from learning about the life cycle of a stag beetle, these insects depend on dead wood for around five years for food and protection while they are larvae. Their long life cycle means that if woody habitats are disturbed, stag beetle larvae cannot reach adulthood and reproduce.
The main threat these beetles face is the loss of their habitat:
Woodland is cut down to make space for building houses, shops or roads.
People tidy up gardens, parks and woodland removing any dead wood.
Trees which are cut down by tree surgeons are often fully removed, rather than leaving tree stumps behind.
Other threats include:
Being trampled or driven over. Adult stag beetles are often attracted to tarmac roads because they are warm. Then they are accidentally killed.
Larvae can die if the weather is too wet or too dry.
People may be frightened by these large beetles with their long antlers and kill them!
What can you do to help protect stag beetles?
Create a stag beetle friendly habitat in your garden or school grounds. You could make a log pile of dead wood for larvae to feed on. (But make sure any logs are carefully stacked and won’t topple over on people.) Encourage the adults around you to leave old tree stumps and deadwood for female beetles to lay their eggs in.
Stag beetles can be residents at bug hotels, too!
3
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©
Life cycle answer sheetMissing words:
1. larva
2. a) dead wood b) mandibles c) five
3. a) cocoon b) two months
4. a) pupa b) 35 days
5. a) mate b) fight
6. a) 20 b) six weeks.
