THE BIRTH AND DEATH OF TITANS

 

    Continuing my observations of the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus), I have witnessed their "birth" - from when they first emerge from the ground - to fighting for females and territory, and finally their death. Their life span is short of an adult beetle is about one month. However the development cycle of the stag beetle lasts around 4 years, they spend the majority of this time underground and only in late spring, near the end of May or the beginning of June, do adult insects appear from underground.

In the main photo - at the top - the moment of escape.

The photo below shows a moment after leaving the underground chamber.

Immediately after leaving, the stag beetles climb the surrounding trees in search of sap that flows from the damaged trunks and branches of oaks, from which they feed.

In such places you can often meet several individuals, and this is also where male fights most often occur.

A male drinking sap leaking from a damaged tree.

As you can see, stag beetles are not the only insects to like it.

At such “feeding zones" is where fights among males regularly happen.

The reward for courage and perseverance is the opportunity to mate, and pass on their genes.

Chasing the female

Unfortunately, all things come to an end. At the end of June, beginning of July, after fulfilling their destiny - they leave....

But the cycle of life continues. In spring, history comes full circle and we will meet them again... 

They will not be these exact ones - but the same - Titans of the oak forest.

Photos: Marek Czubaszek