The world is awash in beetles, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Few of them can match the intimidation factor of a Pinching Beetle,
Lucanus capreolus, though. Those formidable looking mandibles look like they could slice off a finger.
Today was one of those coolly diverse days. I started off down in Fayette County, visiting the farm of a friend. He has restored about 25 acres of wetlands, and the response by the animal community has been nothing short of phenomenal. Blizzards of dragonflies of many species, amphibians galore, and nesting Blue-winged Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, and Sora. Among MANY other things. And all in a short two years. Add water and they will come.
Then, working my way home, I ducked into a Madison County cemetery that has a thriving population of Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels, and shot images of our native prairie dog. Then, I stopped at a spot along Little Darby Creek, waded on in, and procured some pretty nice shots of various stream bluets and dancers. Finally, I dropped by Kathy Wallace's home, as she had tipped me to the discovery and capture of the protagonist of this story. I asked her if she'd please put the Pinching Beetle into captivity, as I'd like to do a shoot with it, and she was kind enough to do so.
Pinching Beetles are fairly large as bugs go, and coupled with the large mandibles, they're enough to cause an entomophobe to faint. But as nearly all of these things are, they're totally harmless - all bark and no bite. Still, as can be seen by its scale as compared to your narrator's hand, a Pinching Beetle is a whole lotta bug.
This insect also goes by the name of Reddish-brown Stag Beetle, but I prefer the Pinching Beetle moniker. There is an even larger species, the Giant Stag Beetle,
Lucanus elaphus, which also has bigger mandibles. I've not seen that one, and have only seen about three of this species. I suspect that they're not that uncommon, but stay largely out of sight and out of mind. The larvae spend their existence burrowing through decaying wood, and the adults are mostly nocturnal. Adults feed on tree sap and probably the sap of rotting fruit, and if all goes well, one of these giant beetles can live for a year or more.
As nasty as those "antlers" look, the beetle can't exert enough force to do anything but give a slight squeeze. I'm not sure what their purpose is; perhaps sparring with other males like deer in rut? Or perhaps intimidating would-be enemies. It may be that the males with the largest rack are the most desirable to females? The girl beetles, by the way, have greatly reduced mandibles that are scarcely noticeable, at least in comparison to those of the male.
Pinching Beetles occasionally come to lights, so perhaps if you are lucky you will have this face staring at you when you step out onto your porch.
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44 comments:
This actually has nothing to do with this particular blog, although this is a fantastic insect! I saw you at Beyers Woods and we had a talk about your Panasonic camera that you were very happy with. I would love you to tell me exactly which one it was. You told me but I had nothing to write on and so have forgotten. I only remember you were very happy with it, and it was fairly light weight, and had a great zoom on it. I'm into getting a new camera and would like to check out one like yours. Can you help?
Hi Sally, it's the Panasonic FZ200, and my experience with it and other Panasonic cameras has been very good!
You can tell me how harmless this is until you're blue in the face...I'm still not sticking my finger between those things.
Jim, I recently had one of these come to my black light in my urban Cincinnati yard.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mangoverde/9350193661/
Just had one wiz by my head and into a a closed sliding door thankfully. Scared the deal out of me when I saw what it was lol. Hope there was only one lol. Urban Northeast Columbus
So glad you posted this. I just had one zoom by me and land at my feet. Got a good photo and needed to know what it is.
I've had a few of these show up on my porch in Cincinnati in an incapacitated state. They're still alive but they just lie on their back moving their limbs around slightly. I tried to set the back on their feet to no avail.
We were lucky to see one. Scared the bajesus out of us. Thank God we saw your blog!!!!
We just found one of these in our basement last night--nasty surprise! Glad they're not as lethal as they look!
Just had one near an outside wall lantern. Good to know it isn't as mean as it looks! NE Ohio between Cleveland and Sandusky
They aren't necessarily harmless as my boxer got ahold of one last night and we had to pry it from his cheek
Just saw one in broad daylight in my yard in Michigan!! Freaked me out!!!!
Was digging up some old tree roots earlier and then discovered what seemed to be one of these crawling on my pants when I got back in the house.(Thought it was black but didn't really pay too much attention.) Plonked it back in the garden by those roots. Dayton, OH.
I remember vividly as a kid, carrying one of these guys around in my front shirt pocket, grossing out the neighborhood girls. I also remember it pinching my finger hard enough, that I had trouble getting it to let go despite shaking my arms wildly.
Just had one of these pincher beetles on my patio a couple days ago! I was not fond of it's size.....eouuuuuw! Was interesting though.
I found one where I planted some flowers yesterday by my door. The beetle wasn't doing to well because I sprayed that area with bug spray but luckily I scooped it up and put it in a container to save it and it worked it is doing much better now. I want to show my friends and family and once it gets stronger I will let it go.
We have had one on our front porch for the last few nights. He is pretty big. There is another one on our screen door but it is much smaller. I'm glad I found your site because I wasn't for sure what type of beetle it was or if those pincher looking things are dangerous lol. We live in Xenia, Ohio.
Found one this morning in southwest Wisconsin
Just had one in house in Northwest Ohio it was pinched on to my cats foot hat to cut it off with scissors it seemed pretty mean, and put the cat in a lot of pain.
Just had one crawl across my living room floor. Owensboro KY
Thank you for the great information! I've never seen them before in Parma Ohio until just a few days ago. I've found ten in my driveway, all turned upside down in the middle of the hot summer day. So weird! I flipped them over and put them in the neighbor's mulch away from my curious dog :)
HARMLESS!?you say that beetle is harmless it bit my brother.
Found one on my porch tonight just South of dayton oh. It greeted me as I walked out of my door.
Just captured one that tried to take a chunk out of my son's thumb.. nasty looking things.. Jackson ohio
I opened the door to my back porch early this morning to let my cats out and there was a huge one on his back, on the steps. Maybe last nights rainstorm had washed him up there. He was on his back. Despite his size, I knew that midwestern beetle are fairly harmless. I turned him over and let him be. Mansfield, Ohio.
I have one who has taken up residency on my screen door tonight. Columbus Ohio
I found one not but two hours ago on my outside screen door. It would not let go of the screen easily for me to catch. I know someone from my church who is a bug enthusiast, and loves all kinds of creepy-crawlers (even the mature black widow female I found). This is the first time I've seen one of these (I live at the border of Pike/Scioto county), and I hope it is my last. My daughter and nephews, who live with me, are not afraid of anything and pick up every bug (and snake) they find, which terrifies me as parent/guardian.
I was sitting on the porch (July 12th) and one landed on my shirt. Pulled my shirt off and he was just hanging out. My 5yr old thought he was pretty cool. She has no fear of insects so she was touching him.
Had one in southeast ohio, vincent area. July 2017.
Two tonight in Carmel, IN. First was on its back attached to the deck I am rebuilding (around dusk and I used a piece of cardboard to relocate into the yard) and second just landed on my screened in porch (around 10pm) when I turned on the outside light for a minute. Have kids and a large dog and have to admit they are freaking me out a bit... have seen these and the assassin bug for the first time this year. Any idea why all these new arrivals?
Up here in Coshocton county Ohio, I have seen alot of these this year. Well more than previous yrs and mostly at night fall. Playing around with one jus now outside, those Pinchers have quite a squeeze considering how small they are... Interesting enough for sure, thanks for the read.
I have a lot of these at my house. I see one almost everyday for the last month or so. I try not to smash them if it can b helped. But they seem to b like a deer in headlights when someone gets close to them. I stepped on one just a little bit ago. It was on my porch in front of the door.
Just found one camping in Amherstburg,Ontario (not that far from Detroit,Mi)There is an almost dead tree across from us that I suspect is its home. Freaked me out as it bounced by.
Found one floating in a rain water bucket, fished it, set it on the patio to dry out and it eventually walked away. Grandson loved it, except those pinchers! Thanks for the info post.
I just saw one in our closed porch scared the heck out of me when I saw it, it face planted in the wall and fell behind a table and got stuck between the table and the wall. I my self ain't a big "bug" fan. I accualy hate bugs and insects and anything along the lines of one. So even though you say it's harmless I ain't touching it with a ten foot pole.
Cleveland Heights - rescued one from the cats ... it seems to have recuperated in a large jar with leaves and berries. Not sure what they eat! Will release it this evening - seems a damp location is ideal.
Just found one on front porch by the light. When I got close it raised it's head up like it would attack! Big pincers! Harmless? You say. I will not bother it that's for sure! Hope it leaves before morning. Columbus Ohio. Yep. In the city.
We have found 2 of these in our garage in Tuscarawas County, Ohio and they are enormous! The ones we found are every bit of 2" long. YUCK.
I just found one in my garage, wow! Definitely intimidating...eek! Richland County Ohio here.
Every night in May we get hundresds of these bugs, near Plain City. We leave lights off around the garage patio & barn. If they are the same thing & do look like it we call them dumb bugs. When walking into the house at night they all but swarm you.
Just caught one in my bedroom in Toledo, Ohio. Cat actually noticed it and was trying to get up the wall to get it. When it landed on my bed I csught it and fortunately found your site to identify it!!
www.whatifweallcared.wordpress.com
Obviously these guys come out in July I’ve found two of them In two days so far. One was trying to push open my screen door by wedging himself in between the door jam. And another was captured at a dog park for biting someone’s poor little pupper. Definitely attracted to porch lights and wooded areas! .
I am in Allentown, pa and it’s is summer. I have seen the male stag beetle on my front porch and two days later I found the female walking in the grass in the yard. This is the first time I have ever seen this bug in my area.
Hi! I live in Newton Falls, Ohio and I just found this beetle battling my 5 cats from a corner. It was fairly unharmed, so I stored it in a container for now. Thank god for this article on this beetle, I wasn't sure if it was a stag since its pinchers seemed so much more smooth but this is a perfect picture of what I just found! I'm sure it'll be happy to be on it's way through the garden tomorrow morning.
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