not horsey - Giant flying beetle

ivandenisovich10

ivandenisovich10

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Has anyone else ever seen a giant flying stag beetle? My OH thought I was mad when I told him I had seen one on our patio, tonight one flew head on into him. They are the scariest beetle I've ever seen, thinking about them makes me feel ill, I tried to take a picture but couldn't go anywhere near it! Beetle shouldn't be that big. Sorry non horsey but just wondering if any one elsse has these freaky beetle hanging around
 
I have also seen stag beetles flying and they are really loud as well. There were several - I wondered if it was some kind of mating thing. Definitely stag beetles, and it made me want to drop and crawl clear of the flight zone.
 
Yes massive and scary with all those grippy hooks on their legs too! :eek: They are protected and quite endangered now - so don't stamp on them :(
 
Cool? Mmmm, not in my world, they're not!!

It could be a cockchafer, also known as may or june bug (they are around for one month only and it depends on the location as to whether it's may or june) as well as other names.... here's a link to find out more
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/...nomic-impact/melolontha-melolontha/index.html

If it's a stag beetle (impressive, I admit, but stil yuck and huge - much bigger than the pictures show!)...
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/...nomic-impact/melolontha-melolontha/index.html

I am not an expert, just a hysterical wreck when encountering either :D
 
I did report my sightings on one wildlife site as did see they were endangered and 1anastasia - ill do the link you put too. If I see another ill try and be brave enough to get close for a photo but it completly freaked me out
 
I got what I now realise was a Cockchaffer stuck in the back of my hair one warm June evening :eek:. I felt something tickle the back of my head, put my hand on it, thought it was a piece of branch and held in it my hand. I then opned my hand, and all my friends and I yelled in horror as the "piece of branch" loudly and dramatically flew off. :eek::D

An equally dramatic childhood early memory is of my mother telling me she'd put her foot in an open toed sandal to discover a stag beetle in there. Still makes me shudder.

I'm pretty unflappable round creepy-crawlies usually. It's just when they take you by surprise.... :o
 
Haha maybugs love hair! I was walking across the village playing field one evening with my red hair flying free when one got caught... And then another... and another... A total of FIVE MAYBUGS buzzing round my ears!! They were there for about ten seconds and then all went away together too, I thought I was being swarmed by bees at first it was quite bizarre!
 
mandwhy said:
Haha maybugs love hair! I was walking across the village playing field one evening with my red hair flying free when one got caught... And then another... and another... A total of FIVE MAYBUGS buzzing round my ears!! They were there for about ten seconds and then all went away together too, I thought I was being swarmed by bees at first it was quite bizarre!
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I live in the north, they're uncommon up here so I had never seen such a thing.

Beetles in general don't seem to look where they're going in flight though, do they? :p
 
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