From Donovan's \Natural History of British Insects\" (plate by Donovan, volume circa 1806). Greater crucifix beetle, Panagaeus cruxmajor, on a grass s
From Donovan's \Natural History of British Insects\" (plate by Donovan, volume circa 1806). Greater crucifix beetle, Panagaeus cruxmajor, on a grass stem. This rare European ground beetle was a prize for any 19th century collector. In a letter to his old friend Leonard Jenyns (17 Oct 1846) Darwin recounted an incident as an Undergraduate at Cambridge University where he saw \"the sacred Panagaeus crux major\" Having collected a carabid beetle in each hand already he was forced to free a hand by placing one of the beetles between his teeth. Unfortunately the beetle was able to squirt a highly acrid afluid, and in spitting it out he lost all three."
Size: 3435px × 5088px
Photo credit: © PAUL D STEWART/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: artwork, autobiography, beetle, cambridge, charles, christ, christs, collecting, college, crux, darwin, entomology, illustration, major, panagaeus, panageus, rare, specimen, undergraduate
