Comments on: Huge Monster http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/ Thoughts and photos from an American living in Spain. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:11:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: erik http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/comment-page-1/#comment-27 erik Fri, 16 Jun 2006 07:10:45 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/#comment-27 <p>Wow. And the award for Most Informative Comment goes to....</p> <p>I can't believe you left out this little tidbit from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stag_beetle" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia page</a>:</p> <blockquote>The modern Italian word for a toy kite cervo volante (and hence the French cerf-volant) may derive from the ancient amusement of flying the beetles on a length of thread.</blockquote> <p>Neil, you really could have left out the part about them flying through open windows and crash landing on your face.</p> Wow. And the award for Most Informative Comment goes to….

I can’t believe you left out this little tidbit from the Wikipedia page:

The modern Italian word for a toy kite cervo volante (and hence the French cerf-volant) may derive from the ancient amusement of flying the beetles on a length of thread.

Neil, you really could have left out the part about them flying through open windows and crash landing on your face.

]]> By: Uncle Steve http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Uncle Steve Fri, 16 Jun 2006 03:46:47 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/#comment-25 Neil, you need to get out more.... Neil, you need to get out more….

]]> By: Uncle Neil http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Uncle Neil Fri, 16 Jun 2006 03:33:32 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/#comment-24 That is a male European Stag Beetle. The American Stag Beetle looks the same and is interestly enough most common in North Carolina. Your Aunt Barb has a slug of bug books and I was reading up on life styles of the male and female Lucanus elephas. If you want to explore information about the life style of your guy in Spain you could probably find information under Lucanus cervus. Don't feel too bad for this guy. There have been over 700,000 insect species identified by humans so far and they do much better in a bad environment than humans and they don't create a bad environment for themselves. Barb's bug books say that stag beetles used to be much more common. It is not little boys but loss of habitat. The female needs damp decaying timber to lay eggs and humans like to clear that out. Your guy has strong wings and flies at dusk in search of females. The flight can be rather erratic and the beetle will fly through open doors and windows and crash land on your face while you are sleeping. Don't worry his antlers are used to fight other males and are useless for biting. The female stag beetle however has tiny antlers that will give you a very sharp nip. She does bite. That is a male European Stag Beetle. The American Stag Beetle looks the same and is interestly enough most common in North Carolina. Your Aunt Barb has a slug of bug books and I was reading up on life styles of the male and female Lucanus elephas. If you want to explore information about the life style of your guy in Spain you could probably find information under Lucanus cervus. Don’t feel too bad for this guy. There have been over 700,000 insect species identified by humans so far and they do much better in a bad environment than humans and they don’t create a bad environment for themselves. Barb’s bug books say that stag beetles used to be much more common. It is not little boys but loss of habitat. The female needs damp decaying timber to lay eggs and humans like to clear that out. Your guy has strong wings and flies at dusk in search of females. The flight can be rather erratic and the beetle will fly through open doors and windows and crash land on your face while you are sleeping. Don’t worry his antlers are used to fight other males and are useless for biting. The female stag beetle however has tiny antlers that will give you a very sharp nip. She does bite.

]]> By: erik http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/comment-page-1/#comment-23 erik Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:40:04 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/#comment-23 Little boys and bug friends can be so cruel! Little boys and bug friends can be so cruel!

]]> By: Betsy http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Betsy Wed, 14 Jun 2006 12:51:40 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/#comment-22 This fellow is definitely missing some important components. If he had any natural enemies they would be at a great advantage. I'm guessing that curious little boys might be his worst nightmare. I wonder if his bug friends call him Gimpy? This fellow is definitely missing some important components. If he had any natural enemies they would be at a great advantage. I’m guessing that curious little boys might be his worst nightmare. I wonder if his bug friends call him Gimpy?

]]> By: erik http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/comment-page-1/#comment-21 erik Wed, 14 Jun 2006 12:25:08 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/#comment-21 Good point! Actually, I think his bigger problem is the absense of his <i>left</i> hind leg. I'm more of an etymologist than an entomologist, but I suspect those little wimpy feelers in front don't count as legs in the official "all insects have six legs" count. Nor do the scary red pinchers o' death. Good point! Actually, I think his bigger problem is the absense of his left hind leg. I’m more of an etymologist than an entomologist, but I suspect those little wimpy feelers in front don’t count as legs in the official “all insects have six legs” count. Nor do the scary red pinchers o’ death.

]]> By: Paul http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Paul Wed, 14 Jun 2006 11:56:51 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2006/06/14/huge-monster/#comment-20 It looks like his right rear leg is broken. You should have taken him to a vet! It looks like his right rear leg is broken. You should have taken him to a vet!

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