We are waiting for the stag beetles…

 Our team is now waiting for stag beetle season. The already finished 24 beetles are currently still waiting in their earthen shells, approx. 30 cm below the earth’s surface, for a signal to make the laborious climb to the surface. This signal is triggered on the one hand by an internal clock and on the other hand by the ambient temperature and usually reaches males earlier than females. Maybe it just depends on the depth of burrowing, because females build their earthen shells about 5 – 6 cm deeper than males. It will be a good four weeks before the first beetles dare to come out of the ground. Because they hatch earlier, the males usually have to wait for their ladies, who then want to do a flying lap and prefer to be courted aggressively before they get married. We are once again looking forward to an exciting stag beetle season