Do male stag beetles bite?

Do male stag beetles bite?

Yes they do! And the male below drew blood.

Male stag beetle and bloody finger, 2013.

Bloody finger pointing at the culprit. Photo by Maria Fremlin, 5 June 2013.

This splendid male came attached to the finger of Kamilla Skov when she poked it in an emergence hole in an old breeding area by a busy Colchester roundabout.

Please, take note and don't do the same!

I have been bitten only once and it was by a male as well. It bit my thumb, one mandible hit the nail but the other one went through as if my flesh were butter.

Recent research has proved that the male grip is several times of the one of the females *.

I hope that this really debunks the myth that the females were the only ones that could give you a nasty nip!

* Goyens, J., Dirckx, J., Dierick, M., Van Hoorebeke, L. and Aerts, P. (2014) Biomechanical determinants of bite force dimorphism in Cyclommatus metallifer stag beetles. J. Exp. Biol. 217, 1065-1071. [Abstract]
Here is a lighter version: Stag beetle males compensate for massive mandibles.

Last modified: Fri Mar 28 2014