Would you like to see what I saw on my wedding anniversary?

dentstudent · « **on:** 15/05/2009 09:19:26 »

So, for all you hopefuls, not a pair of nesting tits, but a great big horny beetle!

We were eating at an Italian place on the veranda, when this flew in and landed on the table next to us. It is the biggest beetle I have ever seen! In total, it was 10cm long, and those mandibles looked highly ferocious! I escorted it off the premises by means of a large paper towel - no way that I was going to risk getting pinched!

http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek080601.html

Edit: It seems that the "horns" are fixed, so I wouldn't have got pinched - and it was a Lucanus cervus which is apparently rather rare and protected. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucanus_cervus)

Chemistry4me · « **Reply #1 on:** 15/05/2009 09:21:41 »

That is a ripper!

dentstudent · « **Reply #2 on:** 15/05/2009 09:38:29 »

It certainly caused the scattering of diners!

Another incident that I've had with beetles was at Mont St. Michel (that's in France). We were walking back from the mount along the embankment when we could see people ducking and running for cover. It was at dusk, so we had no idea what was going on as we couldn't really see properly. We found out when we reached the same point though - there was a mass flight of May bugs or "Cockchafers". These were just flying in a cloud and into anyone that got in the way. It was a coleopterological hail storm!

Karen W. · « **Reply #3 on:** 15/05/2009 10:26:26 »

Wow!!

That looks wicked!
Very cool... I have never seen one like that!

I wonder how that afore mentioned last Beatles attained their names? LOL...LOL.."Cockchafer?"

Yikes..!!!

Makes me cringe for you Boys! Lol...

dentstudent · « **Reply #4 on:** 15/05/2009 10:36:27 »

It seems that Cockchafer is old English for big beetle (note "ee", Karen!). It could also be an anglicized version of "Kafer" which is German for beetle.

Chemistry4me · « **Reply #5 on:** 15/05/2009 10:39:35 »

Isn't the word Maikäfer?

dentstudent · « **Reply #6 on:** 15/05/2009 10:48:37 »

Maikäfer is the German name for this particular beetle, which translates as "May beetle" or "May bug".

Käfer:Chafer - close huh?

Chemistry4me · « **Reply #7 on:** 15/05/2009 10:50:28 »

You said it "flew in", I don't see any wings. [

]

dentstudent · « **Reply #8 on:** 15/05/2009 10:58:12 »

They are hidden behind the carapace on the large rear body segment.

Karen W. · « **Reply #9 on:** 15/05/2009 11:43:29 »

Quote from: dentstudent on 15/05/2009 10:36:27

It seems that Cockchafer is old English for big beetle (note "ee", Karen!). It could also be an anglicized version of "Kafer" which is German for beetle.

*Noted* Good catch.

Ah good to know thats how they acquired their names! Lol....

Don_1 · « **Reply #10 on:** 15/05/2009 13:08:41 »

I recall, as a school boy on my way home one summer afternoon, playing on an old dead tree on some waste ground. A large rotting branch broke off and dozens upon dozens of these beetles of varying sizes and at various stages of development scurried around looking for cover.

I nearly had a trouser accident!

It is Britains biggest ~~terrestrial~~ insect. Better qualify that! Not my trousers, or anything in them, the beetle!!!

dentstudent · « **Reply #11 on:** 15/05/2009 13:15:14 »

Are there bigger aquatic ones then?

Don_1 · « **Reply #12 on:** 15/05/2009 14:15:44 »

Er..... Right, I've crossed out the terrestrial bit.

You FOGGER you!!!

MonikaS · « **Reply #13 on:** 15/05/2009 19:54:19 »

Those stag beetles (the German name is the same: Hirschkäfer) are really impressive, aren't they? I've seen 2 of them once, fighting. I looked like wrestling, one trying to push the other off the tree trunk. Since they were almost the same size it took quite a while. And we were placing bets. [

]

DrN · « **Reply #14 on:** 15/05/2009 21:51:15 »

A may bug flew into the garage last summer, and the people we were with had never heard of a cockchafer, and refused to believe we weren't winding them up!

lucyejo · « **Reply #15 on:** 19/05/2009 01:45:00 »

this looks very much like the thing that attached its self to my dad's nipple once in Florida!!! haha sitting in a hot tub, i heard a lot of expletives....and looked over to see something similar to this! needless to say he flapped about, flicked it off and moved away haha

lyner · « **Reply #16 on:** 19/05/2009 12:12:04 »

Stag beetles are rare but you still see them all over Europe, AFAIK. You can often see them on forest paths and they are quite safe to pick up. They are much weaker than crabs and won't actually hurt you. They are big enough and ugly enough to put off many predators, though. Like most beetles, they fly, using the wings which are, unbelievably, under their wing cases.

lucyejo · « **Reply #17 on:** 19/05/2009 13:42:31 »

so its unlikely to be what attached itself to m dads nipple then? haha

Chemistry4me · « **Reply #18 on:** 20/05/2009 06:10:37 »

The one in the picture has fixed "horns" (check out first post) so it couldn't have been the same one.

lyner · « **Reply #19 on:** 21/05/2009 16:37:39 »

What makes you think they were 'fixed'? The would only have to move a little bit in order to nip your poor Dad's nip.
It looks so much like a stag beetle that I can't believe it could have been anything else.
The 'jaws / horns' are used by males in mating contests. "Mine's bigger than yours" as usual.

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Would you like to see what I saw on my wedding anniversary?

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