Beetlemania is easy to understand when you come across creatures like this. It's either a Crucifix Beetle or some sort of longhorn, I'm not sure which (yet...hope to have more time to Google later). Actually there were two in the trap and here they are, snug and trying to avoid my attentions in the long grass. Their armour-plating is fascinating. Update and big thanks to Phil Gates - see Comments...
The one I mostly photographed was extremely active once it knew that a superior intelligence was on its case. It scuttled about on the eggboxes, hardly ever stopping long enough for me to focus. I think that it was building up enough energy after a night's sleep to take wing, which it did after about three minutes, most impressively. I specially like its deely-bobber antennae, here in action below. They clearly advise it about obstacles ahead. Wouldn't it be great if they evolved to change colour, chameleon-style, like traffic lights.
2 comments:
Might be sexton beetles Martin...
The parson told the sexton and the sexton tolled the bell...
Now where does that come from? Ah, thank you Google, it's Thomas Hood's Faithless Sally Brown, a sad and instructive tale
And thanks for the beetle instructiveness, Phil, much appreciated
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