D. granti from this year.

[heyjeyniceid]

With the slow of field action really irritating me, Ive decided to just post pictures of some cool stuff Ive found this year in a few threads. This guy I found on a camping trip to Payson(figures ha), at a gas station at the fringe of the forest. My first wild caught D. granti .

 

[Stefan-V]

Nice bug.
Are those scratch marks on his head? Looks like hes been in a few fights.

Stefan-V

 

[Scolopendra55]

Great lookin granti!

 

[heyjeyniceid]

Nice bug.
Are those scratch marks on his head? Looks like hes been in a few fights.

Stefan-V

yeah, I suppose some are. I put him a container of sticks and leaves when I first captured him and he would NOT stop moving in it so I assume some of the scratches are also from sticks.

man can this guy eat grapes(when he was alive)!!

 

[Ecilious]

I can't wait to go traveling in a few years.

The largest beetle in Britain (the magnificent Lucanus cervus) is an endangered species and being in to the city as far as I am I'm lucky if I see just one in a year. That's not to knock the smaller creatures here though, plenty of gems to be found in the summer.

 

[psionix]

lucky! that's an awesome bug.

 

[Dark Raptor]

The largest beetle in Britain (the magnificent Lucanus cervus) is an endangered species and being in to the city as far as I am I'm lucky if I see just one in a year. That's not to knock the smaller creatures here though, plenty of gems to be found in the summer.

The same thing in Poland and almost in whole Europe. I think you should go to Bulgaria. L. cervus there is sometimes treated as forest pest.

My fav specie is Osmoderma eremita. I hope to post some new pics very soon (I've got few pupation chambers and larvae collected in May).

 

[Mat]

I can't wait to go traveling in a few years.

The largest beetle in Britain (the magnificent Lucanus cervus) is an endangered species and being in to the city as far as I am I'm lucky if I see just one in a year. That's not to knock the smaller creatures here though, plenty of gems to be found in the summer.

Hi

The Uk Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus is mostly found in the south-east of England, but it is no way endangered in the UK. South London is a pretty good hot-spot for Stag Beetles, there are lots of records of this beastie from there. Wimbledon Common and the streets in Putney near the Common are good places to look in later May or early June. As part of the porject to conserve this species there will be a National survey of this beetle going on later this year - we would like to get records from any member of the public who sees one in the UK.

My fav specie is Osmoderma eremita. I hope to post some new pics very soon (I've got few pupation chambers and larvae collected in May).

When does Osmoderma make its pupal cells - do they pupate in the autumn or in the spring?

Regards

Matt

 

[Ecilious]

As part of the porject to conserve this species there will be a National survey of this beetle going on later this year - we would like to get records from any member of the public who sees one in the UK.

Yeah, I've taken part in these before. Back in about '98 I came across about 20 in my garden, since then though their numbers have dropped like a lead ballon.

I live near to a fairly large woods and have log piles in my garden but I still rarely see them. I might try setting up a light trap up in the woods this summer and see what I can find.

 

[Mat]

Yeah, I've taken part in these before. Back in about '98 I came across about 20 in my garden, since then though their numbers have dropped like a lead ballon.

So far there have been 2 of these National Surveys, in 1998 & 2002. If numbers have dropped in your garden it may just be that the stump or wood where they were breeding close to you has been used up. Even in areas with good numbers of beetles about they can be pretty local & patchy. I usually only ever see 1 or 2 a year flying over my garden - but if I go 800m down the road they are quite frequent.

I live near to a fairly large woods and have log piles in my garden but I still rarely see them. I might try setting up a light trap up in the woods this summer and see what I can find.

Log piles on the surface are not very useful for Stag Beetles - the larvae only feed on wood either underground or just on the surface. If you make a 'vertical ' log pile and bury the bottom of the logs about 50cm or more in the ground this will be a much better breeding site for Stag Beetles. I'd be interested to know if you get any coming to light, they dont seem to be too attracted to MV lamps as far as I know.

 

[Dark Raptor]

When does Osmoderma make its pupal cells - do they pupate in the autumn or in the spring?

They generally pupate in April-July. But I didn't put all of them into lower temperature. They should emerge very soon.

 

[Ecilious]

Log piles on the surface are not very useful for Stag Beetles - the larvae only feed on wood either underground or just on the surface. If you make a 'vertical ' log pile and bury the bottom of the logs about 50cm or more in the ground this will be a much better breeding site for Stag Beetles. I'd be interested to know if you get any coming to light, they dont seem to be too attracted to MV lamps as far as I know.

Thanks for the info. I have some old sections of eucalyptus that are well over ten years old that are partially submerged and very rotten that seem to attract lesser stag beetles so maybe getting some more logs and burying them deeper will yield some results.