DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17007602
title: (PTES) National Stag Beetle Surveys (Great Stag Hunts). Curated occurrence dataset 1998-2022

description: Distribution data for the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) collected via the People's Trust for Endangered Species' national stag beetle surveys (Great Stag Hunts) and used in the analysis for the manuscript "Long-term population changes for the UK stag beetle Lucanus cervus — evidence from citizen science surveys and museum collections" by Wembridge et al. 2025. People's Trust for Endangered Species are the Lead Partner for the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for the stag beetle in the UK. The national stag beetle surveys (Great Stag Hunts) were undertaken to provide a baseline picture of the distribution of Lucanus cervus as part of the BAP process with follow up surveys to establish any change in distribution in subsequent years.

For further information about this dataset, please contact People's Trust for Endangered Species or visit the website - https://ptes.org/campaigns/stag-beetles-2/

The majority of the records in this dataset were captured via a public participation online map. While the geographic coverage of the survey was aimed at the whole of the UK, most recorders tended only to submit positive records and these have a southern bias due to the distribution of stag beetles in the UK.

This dataset is limited to records collected between 1998 and 2007 and then the data from 2015-2022. The majority of records have a full date reference (dd/mm/yyyy) but records listed as 1st of January each year were removed as the date was considered eroneous.

The majority of records were submitted by members of the public. Although most of the recorders are not entomologists, the appearance of the stag beetle is distinctive enough, and people are familiar enough with it so that they can feel confident in recording it.

Records were validated by the survey organisers based on information submitted by the recorders including description, size, colour and behaviour. Submitted records were graded as either 'Grade 1' (details sufficient to confirm the record related to the Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus) or 'Grade 2' (details insufficient). Only Grade 1 records are included in this dataset. The dataset was then checked by running it throught the NBN record cleaner.

The validation process for the records was sufficient so that we have a very high level of confidence in the dataset as an indicator of the UK distribution of the stag beetle between 1998 and 2022.

This dataset contains records for the stag beetle Lucanus cervus in the UK collected during the national stag beetle surveys (Great Stag Hunts) in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2015 - 2022. Each record provides the locality and date of observation.

The primary source of the data were records submitted by members of the public, either on-line or via paper forms. The collation of records was undertaken by the survey organisers.

Most records were supplied with the postcode of the property where the record originated. More recently records have been submitted using a public-participation online map. Postcodes and lat/long coordinates from the online map were converted to grid references using location converter software.

Records were validated by the survey organisers based on information submitted as part of the records including description, size, colour and behaviour. Some records were submitted with either photographs or dead specimens as additional evidence.

Submitted records were graded as either 'Grade 1' (details sufficient to confirm the record related to the Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus) or 'Grade 2' (details insufficient). Only Grade 1 records are included in this dataset.