A Handful - _TNY_6637
In mid-July 2020, me and my son decided to see if we could find ourself a European stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) since I hade recently found out that there is a known habitat in the Käringboda nature reserve which is only about a 30 minute drive from where we live.
After getting there we had a bit of a walk through the forest to find a suitable old oak and while nearing it, dark clouds were filling the sky and just as we arrived, heavy rain broke out.
We were embarrasingly unprepared and sought shelter under the oak and couldn't believe our luck when we within a minute found this male climbing down the trunk to greet us!
Photographing something this big was weird as it was simply too large to shoot the same way I do with regular insects, but I at least got a couple of nice shots.
The absolutely massive madibles look scary - but are designed to lift up other males and hurl them off the tree and they can't pinch with any considerable force so eventhough Daniel was a bit reluctant at first, he soon came around and handled the largest beetle in Europe like a pro.
After putting him back on the oak he climbed back up and we tried waterproofing the camera gear inside the backpack before returning to the car. Obviously were were pretty soaked when we got there, but the day was still a resounding win!
These guys live as larvae in the ground for 4 to 6 years, going through several instar stages before pupating. Pupation takes about three months after which the adult emerges and only lives for a few weeks.
For a close-up of just the beetle, go here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50105378082/
A Handful - _TNY_6637
In mid-July 2020, me and my son decided to see if we could find ourself a European stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) since I hade recently found out that there is a known habitat in the Käringboda nature reserve which is only about a 30 minute drive from where we live.
After getting there we had a bit of a walk through the forest to find a suitable old oak and while nearing it, dark clouds were filling the sky and just as we arrived, heavy rain broke out.
We were embarrasingly unprepared and sought shelter under the oak and couldn't believe our luck when we within a minute found this male climbing down the trunk to greet us!
Photographing something this big was weird as it was simply too large to shoot the same way I do with regular insects, but I at least got a couple of nice shots.
The absolutely massive madibles look scary - but are designed to lift up other males and hurl them off the tree and they can't pinch with any considerable force so eventhough Daniel was a bit reluctant at first, he soon came around and handled the largest beetle in Europe like a pro.
After putting him back on the oak he climbed back up and we tried waterproofing the camera gear inside the backpack before returning to the car. Obviously were were pretty soaked when we got there, but the day was still a resounding win!
These guys live as larvae in the ground for 4 to 6 years, going through several instar stages before pupating. Pupation takes about three months after which the adult emerges and only lives for a few weeks.
For a close-up of just the beetle, go here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50105378082/