From theguardian.com
By Thomas Coward
16 March 1911: When alarmed the coprophagous beetle stiffens its legs, rolls over, and begins to squeak
One of those heavily built coprophagous beetles whose “shoulders” are adorned with big spines or antlers struggled painfully to force its slow way through the rank grass. This beetle, like the better known dors which appear in the warmer months, walks laboriously when it goes abroad by day, but flies well, though recklessly, at night. This particular species feeds and flies all winter. When alarmed or touched it stiffens its legs (stiff enough already), rolls over on its side or back, and begins to “talk.”
I picked it up and held it to my ear to listen to the squeak, which, is really a mechanical and not a vocal note; when I put it down it immediately rolled over on to its back and, like a cast sheep, feebly waved its legs in the air. It takes these beetles so long to regain their correct position that if they are often alarmed they must spend a great deal of their lives on their backs; it is a curious habit, and really cannot give them much protection from their many foes.
No comments:
Post a Comment