Stag beetle vs. hornets: Who wins?
Watch a stag beetle compete with other insects for access to tree sap.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
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Transcript
An open woodland in northern Germany - perfect habitat for one of Europe’s most spectacular insects, the stag beetle. The beetle joins a horde of other insects that are making their way up an old oak tree. A wound on the tree is oozing sticky sap, and the sweet smell has attracted all kinds of hungry visitors. To secure his place at the table, the stag beetle has to assert his position. A colony of hornets nesting in the tree, are determined to defend their home patch. The beetle tries to place his body over the supply of sweet liquid. But in the end, the joint assault by the aggressive insects finally forces him to give way.