Der Hirschkafer, Hornschroter, Feuerschroter oder Donnergugi (Lucanus cervus) ist ein Kafer aus der Familie der Schroter (Lucanidae). Er gehort zu den gro?ten und auffalligsten Kafern in Europa. Seinen Namen erhielt der Hirschkafer aufgrund der geweihartig vergro?erten mannlichen Mandibeln. Der Name „Donnergugi“ geht auf den Beinamen Donar des Gottes Thor zuruck. Die Art war bereits im Romischen Reich bekannt: die Larven wurden als Delikatesse gegessen, die mannlichen Geweihe wurden als Amulett getragen. Die Kafer werden 25 bis 75 Millimeter lang, wobei die Weibchen mit maximal 40 Millimetern Lange deutlich kleiner bleiben. Damit sind sie die gro?ten europaischen Kafer. Sie haben beide eine schwarzbraune Grundfarbung, die Deckflugel und die Mandibeln (Oberkiefer) der Mannchen sind braunrot gefarbt. Besonders auffallig an den Mannchen ist das „Geweih“, bei dem es sich um die massiv vergro?erten Mandibeln handelt. Sie konnen bei besonders gro?en Exemplaren fast die halbe Korperlange ausmachen. Die Weibchen haben einen schmaleren Kopf und normal entwickelte Oberkiefer. Sie tragen auf der Oberseite ihrer Vorderbeine charakteristische, gelb behaarte runde Flecken. Gelegentlich kann die forma capreolus beobachtet werden, bei der die Mannchen sehr klein sind und ebenso wie die Weibchen kein Geweih tragen. Die Tiere kommen in Sud-, Mittel- und Westeuropa, nordlich bis in den Suden Schwedens vor. Lokal findet man sie auch in England, Kleinasien und ostlich bis nach Syrien. Sie leben bevorzugt in alten Eichenwaldern, konnen aber auch in Garten, Rindenmulchhaufen etc. vorkommen. Die Hauptflugzeit liegt zwischen Ende Mai und Ende Juli. _________________________________ Lucanus cervus is the best-known species of stag beetle (family Lucanidae), and is sometimes referred to simply as the stag beetle. It lives in holes in old trees and dead trunks, in the forest as well as in groves. Forest management, in eliminating old trees and deadwood, eliminates at the same time the habitat and food of this species. Once quite common, the population of the Lucanus cervus, along with that of other species of beetles which feed on wood, is in steep decline, and is now listed as a globally threatened/declining species. Adults appear during late May to the beginning of August being most active in the evenings. Females lay their eggs in a piece of decaying wood. Stag Beetle larvae, which are blind and shaped like a letter "C", feed on rotting wood in a variety of places, tree stumps, old trees and shrubs, rotting fence posts, compost heaps and leaf mould. The larvae have a cream-coloured soft transparent body with six orange legs, and an orange head which is very distinct from the very sharp brown pincers. They have combs in their legs which they use for communication (stridulation) with other larvae. The larvae go through several developmental stages (instars), taking 4 to 6 years to become pupae. The work of entomologist Charlie Morgan during the late 1970s discovered that the pupae of the Stag Beetle live in the soil for about 3 months, then emerge in summer to awkwardly fly off to mate. Adults only live for a few months feeding on nectar and tree sap. Their slow, lumbering flight, usually at dusk, makes a distinctive low-pitched buzzing sound. The males fly more readily than the females. The modern Italian word for a toy kite cervo volante (and hence the French cerf-volant) may derive from the ancient amusement of flying the beetles on a length of thread. The stag beetle is preyed upon by magpies, chickens, badgers, foxes, hedgehogs, cats, and woodpeckers. The natural reaction of the beetle to an approaching large object is to remain motionless making them a good photographic subject. Sexually dimorphic, the males have enlarged mandibles and are larger than the females. Although the male's mandibles seem threatening, they are too weak to be harmful. Nevertheless, females can inflict a painful bite. It is the resemblance of the male's mandibles to the horns of a stag, and their use in combat between males, much like with deer, that gives the species its scientific and common names.

Months and months after I sent a request to Olivia's orphanage for her finding clothes, I received a package in the mail. It was from China... containing, you guessed it, Liv's finding clothes! Okay, being a realist, I know that these may not be the actual clothes that Liv was found in -- it may be an attempt to pacify an adoptive mom who despairs over her daughter's lost history. I understand that there is a possibility that the orphanage simply found an item of clothing that matched the description of my daughter's finding clothes and sent that. But, the little shirt I got in the mail DID match the description and it is possible that these were the clothes her birth family dressed her in before placing her in a populated location to be found and taken to an orphanage. Since it's a definite possibility, and because I have no other options, I choose to believe that this little piece of clothing was once touched by my daughter's birth mother and/or father. I am thrilled to have this little piece of history for my daughter. In addition to the clothing, I received a handwritten letter from the orphanage director (it's currently being translated) and three pictures, all of which I've seen before. One of the photos was the "mug shot" that was sent in the referral. Another of the photos was taken at the orphanage... Liv was on a riding toy. The orphanage gave us a copy of this photo when Liv was placed in our arms. But it was the last picture that was most surprising... Surprising because I had first overlooked it, it was so tiny. It was tucked in the corner of the envelope and escaped my attention. When I found it, my "Hurray!" could be heard from miles away. It, you see, is the first and earliest picture take of our daughter (to the best of our knowledge). It's the photo that was used in the finding ad. Since we have a copy of her finding ad, we have seen this picture before. But this is the real picture. The actual photograph... not a newspaper copy. We were ecstatic, so I simply must share. I'm guess her to be about 3 months old (at most) in this picture. What do you guys think?