Most people have seen stag beetle, in the family Lucanidae, even if they didn't know the name. The large beetles with enormous mandibles are members of this family, and they're pretty popular in photos and movies of 'scary' insects.
The Lucanids are the first three families I'll be covering in the Superfamily Scarabaeoidea. This group includes Scarab Beetles, Bess Beetles, and several other less common families. While not a particularly speciose family, Lucanids make up for it by being very impressive to look at. While the most obvious feature are the large, non-functional mandibles, these are only found in males, and some, such as this Sindodendron rugosum don't have them at all (though this species is pretty odd looking for a Lucanid). A better characteristic if you get close is that the antennal club can't be compressed down so that it looks like it's one piece.
Lucanids are found on dead logs, where they lay their eggs. Many are rather host specific, and can only be found in certain types of forest. The adults can be seen guarding their log, though with this species they're pretty inconspicuous. This species can be found in mixed redwood and oak forests.
Another species that is more typical was featured in my insect anatomy segment. Platycerus oregonensis is another Lucanid that lives in the same habitat as Sinodendron. The species shown in that link is a large male, with a more typical type of jaw. However, if you really want to see an impressive Lucanid, search for Lucanus elaphus this species can be up to 5cm long including the jaws and is found in the southeast forests.
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