SEX ODDITY: AN INTERFAMILIAR MATING CASE IN LUCANUS CERVUS (LINNAEUS, 1758)

Cases of interspecific matings due to failed species recognition, resulting in a waste of energy and time, are uncommon. In particular, they are seldom documented in Coleoptera, where sexual isolation barriers operate on mul- tiple levels: these barriers include semiochemical signals for long-distance attraction, followed by tactile, acoustic, and visual cues working at closer ranges. Among all Coleoptera species, Lucanus cervus is one of the most charismatic as it is the largest saproxylic beetle in Europe, and it is also protected under the European legislation. Its reproductive strategies are well-studied and fascinating scientists ever since due to the well-developed sexual dimorphism of the species as well as the uttered allometry among male specimens, exhibiting exaggeratedly large mandibles. Poorly recorded in literature are though cases of interspecific mating for L. cervus, not to mention interfamiliar ones. A case of interfamiliar mating between a male of Lucanus cervus (Lucanidae) and a female of Oryctes nasicornis (Scarabaeidae) is reported for the first time. Key Words: Saproxylic beetles, Citizen Science, copula, Natura 2000, Habitats Directive, reproductive behaviour.