Lucanus piceus Weber, 1801: 84 (orig. comb.)
Platycerus balbi Laporte, 1840: 174 (synonym)
Ceruchus virginiensis Casey, 1914: 372 (synonym)
Tarandus americanus Dejean, 1833: 174 (nom. nud.)
C. frontosus Knoch in Burmeister, 1847: 329 (nom. nud.)
C.quercicola Melsheimer in Sturm, 1843: 136 (nom. nud.)

........C. piceus, male (left) and female. ........Photo by M.J. Paulsen	.Distribution of C. piceus.

Biology:

Hoffman, C.H. 1937. Biological notes on Pseudolucanus placidus Say, Platycerus quercus Weber and Ceruchus piceus Weber (Lucanidae-Coleoptera). Entomological News 48: 281-284.

Neven, L.G., J.G. Duman, J.M. Beals, and F.J. Castellino. 1986. Overwintering adaptations of the stag beetle Ceruchus piceus: Removal of ice nucleators in the winter to promote supercooling. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 156 (5):707-716

Xu, L., L.G. Neven, and J.G. Duman. 1990. Hormonal control of hemolymph lipoprotein ice nucleators in overwintering freeze-susceptible larvae of the stag beetle Ceruchus piceus: adipokinetic hormone and juvenile hormone. Journal of Comparative Physiology, B. 160: 51-59.

Distribution:

Blatchley, W.S. 1910. Coleoptera or Beetles Known to Occur in Indiana. Nature Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Ind. 1385 pp.

Ratcliffe, B.C. 1991. The Lucanidae and Passalidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) of Nebraska. Great Plains Research 1: 249-282.