[3] A relatively large lucanid beetle of the genus Lucanus, the male has long, curved upper jaws, resembling a sickle.

The species was originally described by Carl Linnaeus as Scarabaeus capreolus in his 1763 Centuria Insectorum.

Other known synonyms are:[4] As with most of the species of the Lucanidae, sexual dimorphism is pronounced, and the male of Lucanus capreolus is larger than the female and armed with mandibles in the form of antlers.

It lives in deciduous forests and adjacent areas[5] in the eastern United States and some parts of Canada.

They have been found in captivity to make burrows and nest in soil and mulch.