I found a stag beetle what the heck!!!?

Question

i found this bug in my wash machine, it has been a damp year and i live in the midwest...wisconsin to be exact, what are these? where do they come from? should i be worried?

Answer 1

I did a google and they are very common in Wisconsin it seems. I live in Ohio and I remember there used to be a lot of them in our local pool in the mornings (ugh, still creeps me out!) I didn't find any information on whether the dampness plays a role. Just pretty much that the larvae live in rotted wood, they pretty much feed on tree sap, and the mandibles are mainly for show. Found lots of pictures of them though, bet I have nightmares tonight:P