He's gonna be a daddy !!

[Chopper]

Over the past few months we have found this chap marching around our garden.

Then during the renovation work we found this under a log in our wood pile.

After vary carefully replacing the log, I broke the news to SWMBO that she will have to wait for up to two years before they are fully developed and the log can be removed.

 

[British Red]

WOW - must make a pile of decaying wood in the garden!

Lucky you - great piccs and thanks for sharing

 

[Singeblister]

must be great to have those in your garden there quite rare i hear , nice one look after them

 

[ANDYRAF]

Will swmbo really go for a wait of that long, without you getting any grief, WOW lucky man.

 

[firecrest]

Thats brilliant! Hey since youve got quite some time, Why dont you set up a macro camera or video recorder and record their development and hatching?

 

[Staghound]

Very jealous, that's a beastie we don't get around here and I've always wanted to see one. Hope the youngsters are doing well, I read somewhere that they can can grow to 8cm long before they pupate (witchetty grub anyone?)

 

[buckley]

Great pictures thanks.

 

[nomade]

Nice to have people interested to tell it to: I found a stagbeetle on my allotment plot this afternoon. Looked exactly like the one on the pic here. Seemed determined as he walked to his destination (his or her? Maybe a male but antlers were smallish. Would they frow bigger in the course of the Summer?) wherever that was and for whatever reason. I was so pleased and privileged to see this beautiful creature and so endangered...