I found this 20mm long black beetle in the yard. I had to differentiate the species between female Stag beetle and male Lesser Stag beetle. Uniformly black-gray color with fine puntuated body decided about my diagnosis. Females have slightly smaller mandibles (which I couldn't compare without having a second specimen) and characteristic small bumps on their forehead, between their eyes, which this individual did not have. I carried out the restoring, cleaning and mounting according to the instructions of Allan Walls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdapM3jRFCw I encourage you to review his YT channel, because there is a lot of practical advice for beginners like me. It was the first time I used the original Mitutoyo M Plan Apo 20x objective. I risked and bought it used on Aliexpress for $ 800, luckily no duty was added. It's a very good price in Europe. Looks like new, mint condition, glass turned out spotless. These are my first stacks, so it's hard to figure out the rest of the parameters. For now, I have experienced that working with such a magnification requires higher skills, accuracy, precision and patience. Positioning, lighting, stacking and retouching are difficult and time-consuming. My results yielded many artifacts (“worm traces”, transparency, halos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxxzZXORXL0 ). The background could only be replaced. It is this type of work in PS that a graphic tablet (Wacom intuos pro small) helps me a lot. Coming back to the beetle - I am delighted with the color of the bristles. I wonder if it matters to them. The eye is mysterious. We are used to compound eyes in insects. How do beetles see through such a shell?
==best, Pawel
Lesser Stag Beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus, male
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
Lesser Stag Beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus, male
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- MarkSturtevant
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Re: Lesser Stag Beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus, male
This is lovely work! The eyes do look strange. They should be compound eyes, but here the facets seem to not have visible borders.
That this is a "lesser" stag beetle is also interesting. This seems to represent a kind of male which is seen thru-out the animal kingdom. Sexual selection in animals commonly plays out where males compete directly with other males for access to females, and when this happens males are built for combat. In the case of stag beetles the males have over-sized mandibles that are used to pick up and throw down a rival male. But in these kinds of mating systems where males fight other males, we often see what are called "sneaker" males. Sneaker males resemble females, and they do not engage in combat or hold territories (if that is what combative males do). Instead, they just waltz in and mate with a female, and because they look like a female the combative males are not triggered to fight them. I know of examples of this strategy in fish, lizards, crustaceans, and beetles.
That this is a "lesser" stag beetle is also interesting. This seems to represent a kind of male which is seen thru-out the animal kingdom. Sexual selection in animals commonly plays out where males compete directly with other males for access to females, and when this happens males are built for combat. In the case of stag beetles the males have over-sized mandibles that are used to pick up and throw down a rival male. But in these kinds of mating systems where males fight other males, we often see what are called "sneaker" males. Sneaker males resemble females, and they do not engage in combat or hold territories (if that is what combative males do). Instead, they just waltz in and mate with a female, and because they look like a female the combative males are not triggered to fight them. I know of examples of this strategy in fish, lizards, crustaceans, and beetles.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters
Dept. of Still Waters
- rjlittlefield
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Re: Lesser Stag Beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus, male
Pawel, these are beautiful images!
--Rik
I have seen this before, in closely related groups. See for example my post today, "June Beetle eyes have a smoothly curved surface".MarkSturtevant wrote: ↑Wed Jul 07, 2021 5:04 pmThe eyes do look strange. They should be compound eyes, but here the facets seem to not have visible borders.
Fascinating! I do not recall hearing of "sneaker males" before.in these kinds of mating systems where males fight other males, we often see what are called "sneaker" males. Sneaker males resemble females, and they do not engage in combat or hold territories (if that is what combative males do). Instead, they just waltz in and mate with a female, and because they look like a female the combative males are not triggered to fight them.
--Rik
- MarkSturtevant
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Re: Lesser Stag Beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus, male
This is a slightly more elaborate example in lizards where there are 3 kinds of males. One is antagonistic and holds harems of females. One is monogamous, and the third is a sneaker male. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rafdHxBwIbQ
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters
Dept. of Still Waters
Re: Lesser Stag Beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus, male
![Applause =D>](./images/smilies/eusa_clap.gif)
Thanks for sharing.
Re: Lesser Stag Beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus, male
Lovely images!
Dave
Dave
Re: Lesser Stag Beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus, male
Hi Pawel
Very beautiful, interesting and absolutely clean pictures.
Kurt
Very beautiful, interesting and absolutely clean pictures.
Kurt
Re: Lesser Stag Beetle, Dorcus parallelipipedus, male
Quality to aspire to. Wonderful.