A Handful, Pt. 3 - _TNY_6638
A shot of the largest beetle in Europe, the male European stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) in the hands of my son from when we went to the Käringboda nature reserve near Nynäshamn, Sweden in search of it.
Our search went pretty much perfect that day. We went to a large old oak where they were listed as having been found and after looking up less than a minute, this big guy came walking down to greet us and allowed us to photograph him for a little while until we put him back on the bark of the tree!
The antlers may look fierce, but they are designed for flicking other male stag beetles off the tree when fighting and cannot be used for pinching. The much smaller females (who lack antlers) are much more prone to biting though.
The adult males only live for a couple of weeks, but they can spend up to five(!) years as grubs underground before pupating in a cocoon the size of a chicken egg.
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50413186712/
Part 2 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52385112821/
More shots of the same tank here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50105378082/
A Handful, Pt. 3 - _TNY_6638
A shot of the largest beetle in Europe, the male European stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) in the hands of my son from when we went to the Käringboda nature reserve near Nynäshamn, Sweden in search of it.
Our search went pretty much perfect that day. We went to a large old oak where they were listed as having been found and after looking up less than a minute, this big guy came walking down to greet us and allowed us to photograph him for a little while until we put him back on the bark of the tree!
The antlers may look fierce, but they are designed for flicking other male stag beetles off the tree when fighting and cannot be used for pinching. The much smaller females (who lack antlers) are much more prone to biting though.
The adult males only live for a couple of weeks, but they can spend up to five(!) years as grubs underground before pupating in a cocoon the size of a chicken egg.
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50413186712/
Part 2 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52385112821/
More shots of the same tank here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50105378082/