Systenocerus Weise 1883: 93. (synonym)
Systenus Sharp & Muir 1912: 573. (synonym)

Distribution: Nearctic: United States, Canada. Palearctic: Europe to Japan.

Revision or Synopsis:

Benesh, B. 1946. A systematic revision of the Holarctic genus Platycerus Geoffroy (Coleoptera: Lucanidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 63: 139-203.

Composition: 27 species (5 in New World).

Remarks:

The North American species were treated by Benesh (1946), however he used incorrect names for two species. Platycerus depressus LeConte is the correct name for the aspen stag beetle, which was confused with Ceruchus piceus (Weber) and erroneously called P. piceus by Benesh. Similarly, P. quercus (Weber) was the established name for the oak stag beetle until Benesh's error in confusing it with the name of a trogossitid beetle Temnochila virescens (Fabricius), using the incorrect combination Platycerus virescens. Benesh's error is discussed and rectified in Smith & Paulsen (2017).

Taxonomy:

Paulsen, M.J., and M.S. Caterino. 2009. The Platycerus (Coleoptera, Lucanidae) of California, with the recognition of Platycerus cribripennis Van Dyke as a valid species. ZooKeys 8: 89-94. download pdf

Keys to Species: (Nearctic)

Benesh, B. 1946. A systematic revision of the Holarctic genus Platycerus Geoffroy (Coleoptera: Lucanidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 63: 139-203.

Species profiles: (click on species names)

P. cribripennis Van Dyke P. depressus LeConte P. marginalis Casey P. oregonensis Westwood P. quercus (Weber)