Catching beetles on the Northeastern Coast in the US.

I'm going to need the help of all the beetle experts here. As you have read in the title, I am trying to catch beetles on the Northeastern Coast in the US. Based on my research, the only large species available are Lucanus capreolus, Dynastes tityus, Dorcus parallelus, and Ceruchus piceus. I have looked all last summer to no avail. I use banana as bait and I also use lights to attract them at night. I even go rooting around in rotting hardwood logs for larvae.

Any help as to how I can catch them?

Sorry, no help here, but as I live on the Northeastern coast I would be interested to know what species you catch and where. I am perpetually complaining about the lack of good inverts here, but perhaps I never really looked.

Well, I won't call Dorcus parallelus or Ceruchus piceus something large... They're only slightly larger than the small Lucanid genus Platycerus, which you can also find here in early spring. If Lucanus capreolus is present in your area, you may also find the largest US Lucanid species, Lucanus elaphus.

There're a bunch of sizable scarabid, carabid, tenebrionid, long horned beetles, bess beetles, click beetles, carrion beetles and rove beetles too. But it's a hard time to find alive ones... I often see signs like a piece of elytra or a broken leg so I know they're around.

Thanks for the replies. I also live in NJ. There are Lucanus capreolus here since I found a dead one, nothing else. However, I thought Lucanus elaphus are only found in sutheastern US. It would be a dream to catch them live.

I've moved to NJ last fall... Stepped into the wood last week and all I see is a silent spring.

I don't see any L. elaphus record in NJ state; these huge grubs are everywhere all the year around in North Carolina. But the adults are still rare.

I have to agree. I've lived in NJ all my life and the most impressive insect specimen I've seen is the Papilio glaucus. Compared to Taiwan, NJ is a barren wasteland for insects.

You may get some more in-depth answers if you check out beetleforum.net. The members there typically know what you can find in most areas. They've definitely been able to answer my beetle related questions!