CLOSED: Wouldn't want to be bit by this!

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crissyr Fayetteville, AR(Zone 7b) Jul 15, 2009

What is this? This beetle is huge and is hard to kill. My DH stepped on it. A couple hours later it was on the side of the house, so I sprayed it with Raid Wasp & Hornet spray, that did the trick. Kinda reminds me of a Dung Beetle.

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crissyr Fayetteville, AR(Zone 7b) Jul 16, 2009

Here's an upright pic

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Jul 16, 2009

Please don't kill any more of these! This is a female stag beetle (Coleoptera: Lucanidae); the adults appear to feed seldom if at all and their larvae develop in rotting wood. The males of some species have greatly enlarged mandibles that they may use in mating jousts, but they are unable of giving more than a pinch. females can bite, but only if you pick one up carelessly - they are not at all aggressive.

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trackinsand mid central, FL(Zone 9a) Jul 16, 2009

i agree. they are basically harmless and seem to have a hard lot in life as it is-looking so ferocious and all. we have quite a few here and i always help them when they accidently get flipped on their backs.

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crissyr Fayetteville, AR(Zone 7b) Jul 16, 2009

They're slow and clumsy. I read that they are prehistoric, which explains the size, and their numbers are diminishing, probably cause they get flipped over on their backs and can't get upright, like a tortoise.

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