European Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus)

European stag beetle larvae are completely blind as they begin their lives feeding on rotting wood and vegetation. At this stage, they are capable of producing sounds by rubbing ridges on their legs together - a process known as stridulation - to communicate with other larvae. Their pupal forms wait buried in the soil for about 3 months before emerging as adults. Upon emerging the adult beetles are sexually dimorphic. The males are larger with long, impressive mandibles, and females are smaller with short, sharp mandibles. Despite males looking more intimidating, their mandibles are blunt, and only the females are capable of inflicting painful bites. However, the males need these large mandibles to wrestle with other males when competing for mates. Bite force is not exactly an important characteristic, considering that these beetles feed on nectar exclusively. They are awkward fliers that will usually fly in large groups at sunset during the summer in large scale dispersal events. This is categorized by a low-pitch humming noise that can be heard in many areas of Western Europe.