Massive Giant Flying Stag Beetle Plague

[teuchter]

I have sighted several, or one several times, in the garden, and last night I came across one flying around on Jospehine Avenue.

Is this normal or are we under attack?

 

[QueenOfGoths]

I for one welcome our new stag beetle overlords!

Not come across them myself and am glad because beautiful as they are I would scream like a girl if one flew or scuttled near me

 

[Gramsci]

They are rare but occasionally I have seen them in Brixton area.

 

[gentlegreen]

Someone reported seeing some in Clapham on the 23rd May.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/profile/?userid=13986175

When I was in the south of France in '75, I once saw what looked like two enormous beetles fall out of the sky presumably in flagrante but they had great long antennae. There were stag or rhinoceros beetles down there too, but this apparition was much bigger.

 

[spanglechick]

@IloveHerneHill on Twitter was talking about beetles the size of mice the other day - I guess there's more than usual this year.

I once saw one in Sidcup in 1992. HTH

 

[wtfftw]

I met one in kennington in the late 80s. I'm glad they're not extinct.

 

[quimcunx]

*shuts living room window*

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

No squishing them. They're protected

PEOPLE living in the Upton-upon-Severn area are advised to be on the lookout for signs of rare stag beetles.



According to wildlife experts the riverside town is a hotspot for the giant beetles.


Measuring up to a staggering three inches (eight cms) they are the UK’s largest ground-living beetles, deriving their name from the antler-like jaws.
Worcestershire is at the northern edge of their range and they’re one of the county’s key species. The stag beetle – which is completely harmless – is protected in the UK and is a species under threat.

 

[teuchter]

I'm sure I remember seeing stag beetles when I was a kid in the north of Scotland. Which is definitely north of Worcestershire.

They weren't as big as these ones, though.

 

[krtek a houby]

Beautiful creatures. They love them in Japan, you know.

 

[kittyP]

Saw on crawling (not flying thank god) at my parents in Kent last weekend.
It was not as big as the one above but still a pretty sizable fella

 

[Divisive Cotton]

This is probably a stupid question - but can those massive jaws do any damage or are they there just for show?

 

[lang rabbie]

This is probably a stupid question - but can those massive jaws do any damage or are they there just for show?

IIRC it is the females with the smaller mandibles who can give you a more serious nip, but still nothing to worry about.

 

[dozi]

Stag Beetles = Stag weekend

It is mating season for stag beetles, and as Minnie said they are a protected species, leave em to go about their business, unless they are shut in somewhere or on their back in the kerb then of course a little gentle help with a twig or something they can grab hold of, they tend to be more mobile around dusk, that is when they start flying around like nutters!! many a time I've had to bring our cats in to stop them from trying to chase them at the end of a warm May/June day!

 

[citygirl]

No squishing them. They're protected

Think it would be more likely to squish us

 

[T & P]

Let's hope they don't get hooked on crack, or we're all fucked.

 

[teuchter]

It is mating season for stag beetles, and as Minnie said they are a protected species, leave em to go about their business, unless they are shut in somewhere or on their back in the kerb then of course a little gentle help with a twig or something they can grab hold of, they tend to be more mobile around dusk, that is when they start flying around like nutters!! many a time I've had to bring our cats in to stop them from trying to chase them at the end of a warm May/June day!

Our cat (and the neighbours cat) was very fascinated by the one in our garden and spent a lot of time prodding at it and got a few nips from those jaws in return.

Also, the one in our garden somehow managed to get stuck in a gap between two paving stones (possibly the cat played some part in this situation) but I managed to save it with some crowbar type procedures and it lived to see another day.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I have a favourite Stag beetle website.....
http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles
I have framed pictures of stag beetles. I love them.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

...I am tempted to change the word 'plague' in the title to 'blessing'.......

 

[Planty]

Hahaha. There's a great video of a SB baby having a poo. Bit of a sad one from that magpie attack though :-(

 

[miss minnie]

Beautiful creatures. They love them in Japan, you know.

They sure do... Japanese Bug Fights

 

[Jonti]

The ecologists who look after Brockwell Park have been careful to create habitats that encourage stag beetles. From what I understand, It just takes a little controlled untidiness of leaving a few fallen trees, and creating woodpiles which can remain undisturbed for years at a time.

However they've done it, it's worked very well, and now stag beetles are a common enough site around the area.

 

[boohoo]

teuchter, you left your stag beetle in my garden - it frightened my boyfriend.

 

[teuchter]

Two in residence this evening. Live action photos below.

Unfortunately the male (?) one is in a bit of a bad way and seems to have lost part of both of his front legs.

 

[gentlegreen]

I realise now that what I saw as a teenager in the south of France almost certainly was an airborne male stag beetle.

The French call them "Lucane cerf-volant" or "kite beetle" (from the latin Lucanus cervus).

 

[Greenfish]

no matter what you say, or how you spin it, they are ugly looking fckers.

 

[teuchter]

2 more (additional) ones sighted in the garden last night, I am informed.

 

[weltweit]

I have sighted several, or one several times, in the garden, and last night I came across one flying around on Jospehine Avenue.

Is this normal or are we under attack?

I think we may be under attack.

I spotted exactly the same thing, quite massive but completely black not like yours, climbing up the wall of the rear of the house last night.

It was an amazing creature.

I wonder where they come from.

 

[teuchter]

I wonder where they come from.

Probably all flocking from Eastern Europe or something

 

[gentlegreen]

I feel cheated. I wonder if you can buy eggs. ?