. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE STAG BEETLE. 529 They feed mostly upon the roots of grasses and other plants, and when in great numbers have been known to ruin an entire harvest. 'J'o "jrf they are especially destructive, shearing away the roots wiih their scissor-lilie jaws and killing the vegetation effectualJy. For three years the future insect continues in its larval state ; and after a brief sojourn in the pupai >, changes its skin for the last time, and emerges from the ground a perfect Cockchafer. Even in its perfect state it is a terribly destructive inse
. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE STAG BEETLE. 529 They feed mostly upon the roots of grasses and other plants, and when in great numbers have been known to ruin an entire harvest. 'J'o "jrf they are especially destructive, shearing away the roots wiih their scissor-lilie jaws and killing the vegetation effectualJy. For three years the future insect continues in its larval state ; and after a brief sojourn in the pupai >, changes its skin for the last time, and emerges from the ground a perfect Cockchafer. Even in its perfect state it is a terribly destructive insect, working sad havoc among the foliage of trees. The Stag Beetle is the largest of our British Coleoptera, and when it has attained its full dimensions is an extremely powerful and rather formidable insect, its enormous mandibles being able to inflict a very painful bite, not. STAG BEETLE.—[Lucanus cervus.) onlv on account of the powerful muscles by which they are moved, but in consequence of the antler-like projections with which their tips are armed These horn-like jaws only belong to the male, those of the female being simply sharp and curved mandibles, in no way conspicuous. The larvae of the Stag Beetle reside in trees, into which they burrow with marvellous facility, and as after they have emerged from their holes they appear to cling to the familiar neighbourhood, they may be found upon or near the trees in which they have been bred. From the formidable shape of the mandibles it might be supposed that the Stag Beetle was one of the predaceous species. This, however, is not the case, the food of this fine insect consisting mostly, if not wholly, of the juices of vegetables, which it wounds with the jaws so as to cause the sap to flow. It is true that specimens have been detected in the act of assaulting other insects, but thev never seem to have been observed in the act of feeding upon their victim. Whether the food be of animal or vegetable nature, it is always liquid
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
