Diversity of the living world sometimes just amazes even the most imaginative fancy shapes and colors.This is especially evident in insects.Not only charming butterflies can boast extraordinary in its beauty patterns on the wings.Sometimes even the most terrible at first glance, creating a fraught peaceful disposition and a kind of a unique "flavor" - for example, the stag beetle.This beetle could inspire fear because of their size and color characteristic of processes by which an insect got its nickname.Let's talk about it in more detail.
This amazing in appearance creating extremely popular.Surely you can easily imagine his image, as he is known almost to everyone.This is the biggest beetle in the territory of modern European states.The length of the calf giant is about 80 millimeters, and some very large specimens can grow up to 86 mm.Females such enviable parameters do not have, they are significantly smaller and homely "stronger sex".In addition, "women" can not boast of the most distinctive attribute - horny spikes.
Not so long ago, namely in the Soviet times, stag beetle are quite common.Now the population of these insects greatly reduced.They even appeared in the Red Book, which symbolizes the whole lamentable situation.Linked to the death of these beautiful creatures, first of all, to the fact that its original appearance beetles constantly attracted the attention of collectors.At the same time they ruthlessly exterminated not only to replenish the collection, but also out of idle curiosity.In addition, the stag beetle absolutely can not stand most of the pesticides, which are generously spray the plants and trees.Now in Russia stags represented only 20 species.
summer (in the first two months), you may be lucky enough to watch the fights these massive beetles.These tournaments deserve to be called chivalry.In the process of fighting the opponents strike each other very tangible injury.Hard chitin cover may not only bruised, but through a broken horns.Sound duels heard a few tens of meters, as the strike gets very loud.The loser male forced to vacate the area, which immediately automatically takes more than a strong winner.
Every adult stag beetle is able to raise its famous spikes weight, a hundred times its own weight.Is this fact does not show this bug in the ranks of the most amazing creatures on the planet?
stag beetle, the power of which is composed mainly of vegetation, for his life is in full cycle of transformations.First, the female lays eggs in rotten wood.Was born young larva begins to eat it actively.Thus, stag beetles promote recycling of dead wood, clearing the forest.However, since man began ruthlessly to intervene in nature, insect harder to find food.To cut down the forest, with their own hands, we are not only deprived of shelter animals and birds, but also significantly reduced the number of stag beetles.That is why they have appeared inscribed on the pages of the Red Book.
adult stag beetle appears already after the larva turns into a pupa.At the same time it is undergoing an amazing transformation is not the usual wood and earth.Just a month insect is fully sformirovyvaetsya.However, it comes out into the light only to the beginning of the summer season.Stag beetles belong to the "long-livers", as compared to other insects is carried out on the ground a lot longer: five years.
