Photos of other flying objects
by Yvonne van der Mey
Even though macro photography of insects isn't something I really work
on, there are exceptions to the rule. The Stag Beetle, for instance, now
almost extinct in The Netherlands. Stag Beetles are very large insects
and the impressive fights between the males make them very much sought-after.
It is the largest beetle of Central and Northern Europe, and the males
can get as big as 8 cm.
The males have impressive "antlers", which is how they got
their name. The antlers are actually an unusually large upperjaw that
they use to challenge and fight each other to get the attention of lady-beetles.
The males have dark-red back shields, while the females are a lot smaller,
have no antlers and carry a dark back shield.
Once pretty common in the Netherlands, but now, mainly because of the
loss of their natural habitat, they are very much endangered. These animals
live between 3 and 5 years, and most of that time they spend as larvae
and just a short time as a beetle, just long enough to find themselves
a mate and to reproduce. Hopefully all the protection will work for them,
so in future we'll be able to enjoy more of these spectaculair animals.
Please click on a thumbnail picture below to see a larger version of
the photo (please note that your Internet browser must allow pop-up pages
and javascript). For ease of use, there is also a numbered link on the
pop-up page, so that you can go from one photo to the next.
© Please respect the copyright protection on my work and contact
me if you are interested in possible reprint permisions. Thank you
and I hope you enjoy viewing my photographs.
|
