SPECIES: Hoplogonus bornemisszai — Bornemissza's Stag Beetle
CLASSIFICATION: Critically endangered
Every organism plays its part within the ecosystem. If something is under threat or becomes extinct, this will upset the natural balance of a humming ecosystem. Bornemissza's Stag Beetle is a species of stag beetle found only in the north-east of Tasmania.
Stag bettles are large, glossy black in appearance and grounded - unable to fly. The males possess large elongated jaws that extend off its head, and it will fight other males using these jaws over a mate or even over food. Very blokey. Typical of a female, her 'jaws' are much smaller. The most recent surveys suggest five populations of the Bornemissza's Stag Beetle still exist. They have been found in dry to wet or damp eucalypt forests. Threats to their existence are land clearing, deforestation and fire which all bear a significant impact on the home of the Bornemissza's Stag Beetle. Even the weird and wonderful have a place on this planet.
Photo: Friends of the Blue Tier