We need another bug ID here, folks. This beetle was spotted by John in New York, US (near the town of Troy) in July. Anybody care to take a stab at it (or a can of Raid...)?
I never realized how many freaky insects live in the American Northeast. But between the dobson fly and cicadas and this creature, I think I'll stay put in Northern California. The worst I have to deal with is my human neighbors (new blog potential?).
Thanks, John.
UPDATE: We now know this to be a stag beetle. Thanks everyone.
Aug 17, 2008
Pincer Beetle
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40 comments:
It's a Stag Beetle, probably Lucanus capreolus. I haven't seen one of thes since I was a kid.
If you poke a male stag beetle in the butt, they keep lifting their pinchers to reach you. Eventually they fall over on their backs if you keep doing it... so I've been told. I would personally never poke a bug in the butt when it has pinchers like that!
Pretty thing!
You wouldn't expect us New Englanders (and our surrounding neighbors) to have such large, nasty bugs - it's so COLD up here!
But you learn something new every day.
FYI, you've linked this post wrong, put an extra "I" i Insects and friends
I love stag beetles...as long as their pinchers are far away from me. I always used to see them in and around gardens when I was little. So shiny and magnificent!
Norther CA is not safe either! Go out in the tall grass of Vallejo and you'll come across crickets the size of small beagels!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_cricket
Vallejo! You're only about 45 minutes from me. I've encountered the Jerusalem Cricket (I call it a potato bug) in Concord and Walnut Creek. Abhorrent creatures.
I found one clingging to my screen door in pennsylvania.
I live in Northern California and had one of those in my bathroom. It does fall on its back easily, at least in my sink!
Just found one on my screen door in WI. creepy...
I have found two, one was in my bag when I unpacked it on vacation and the other was found in my home in West Virginia. I hope they aren't invading my home.
Julie
ew...there have been two in my yard in southwestern Virginia this month! The largest was a couple of inches with awfully mean looking pincers!
me an my mom just found one of these bugs the other day...n we live in columbus ohio
I live in northern Indiana my entire life and I've never seen one of these beetles till today. I've seen Four right in a row today. It kind of made me nervous
I had one on my screen door in Massachusettes!!!!
I Live in Southern Indiana and I just spotted this "Stag Beetle" in the parking lot, at 11PM. Never seen one of these before. Im from Washington State.
I live in Rochester, MI and I found one in my kitchen today. Ewww!
On a trip to Ft. Meyers Florida, one landed on my wifes shoulder....yea she freaked out...Aaahhhh
Thanks for helping me ID this critter. Just tore up the bushs near our house and found a couple inside and wanted to see if it would be dangerous to my kids.
I found one on my porch in Tennessee. Gross
What I read on them cuz I found one on my door last night the mandible is mostly used for fighting other males to woo the females.....i wouldn't want to test that theory
Southern TX. Unless I need new glasses again, I uncovered about 8 of these stags deep in my old mulch pile. They had mud-like nests if that's what you call them, sorta oblong shape. I hope they're ok for the garden cause that's where they all went. I noticed everyone wrote from the north, could mine be different?
Just found one...It flew through my garage window and landed in my rose bush!
About two inches in length and 3/4 wide with alien like mandable with pinchers. Appleton Wi in my garage. What do they eat?
I just saw one last night in KS, quite a sight latched to the door.
My daughter came in the house with one crawling up the side of her shirt, those things are HUGE!
I think one of these horrible creatures was clinging to my 7 month old puppies lip last night, have been on the Internet trying to identify what kind of animal it is! The things are huge. Don't die easily either. Hoping it's this Beetle and is harmless, just gross.
Just found one of these beetles on my kitchen floor.....ahhhhhhh, very intimidating looking!!! I live in North Eastern Pennsylvania..never saw one before.
just found one of these in my kitchen....ahhhhh very intimidating...until it tipped over and couldn't get off his back. I live in North Eastern Pennsylvania
I live in Morris County New Jersey (northern NJ. Have seen 2 on my property. Pretty maroon color back but one ugly bug! Glad to find out what it is. Left it on it's back and it died. Those pincers are scary!
Just found 1 on the patio when I let my dogs out. It was on its back not moving, so I poked it with a twig & it's pinchers went crazy! I've never seen 1 of these things before in my life and I hope I never see another one...so creepy! Thank you for helping me identify it. I live in Chestnut Ridge, NY
Live in Marshfield Massachusetts and had one fly into my daughter's friend's hair. They are disgusting looking. I thought they were a June bug but saw the huge pinchers. That sucker went right into the fire pit after we could get it out of her hair. Gross and huge!
I've never seen a bug like this before now and i hope to never see another one again. Just had one walking across my living room floor. EWW. Stupid thing wouldn't die. Ugh my skin is crawling now. I live in Quincy, Il.
I am a many years naturalist and just saw my first not a specimen, stag beetle in Ohio. Cool. Thanks for helping me id my beetle.
I just found one of these suckers in my 2 yr olds swimming pool. I have never seen one before! But thanks for identifying it! I live in Northwestern PA.
I have been invaded and am totally skeeved out. This am "Molly" (Chiuaua)came into house with a 2" stag beetle wrapped around her leg with pincers, pinching! She was hopping around, yelping, and of course I was grossed out. I pulled it off of her, making a ripping sound aghhhhh!!!!! She ok - I'm not. Tonight I went out to check the dog pen and OMG I saw a bunch of them and the holes the were crawling out of. My son caught 2 of them - crawled up his sock. No more puppy playpen for my 2 dogs. I would go nuts trying to get one of these off my long haired Pom.How can I get them to go away??????? I am okay with a bug here and there,
I don't scream everytime I see a bug but this is like mass ugly bug fest taking over. I'm going to have freakin nightmares tonight.
Andover MA
One of these was on my porch last night. These things are ferocious. It kept rearing up and trying to fight anything that got near it.
Medford, MA
Saw my first stag beetle yesterday in northwest Indiana near Chicago and I'm 27.
Raleigh North Carolina. Huge Stag Beetle outside of my fourth floor apartment. Has been posted in front of a storage closet across the way and about twenty feet down the breezeway from me. It has been there for five days now, posted like a guard dog and turning toward anything that passes by it. Kinda cool but definitely a creepy crawly.
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