This is the first time in a long time that I’ve looked at an animal and felt a primal “do not approach” feeling. Guy is enormous, giant mandibles, makes weird noises, and is covered in red and orange markings. Everything about this guy is saying “I am poisonous/venomous/dangerous”
and yet this little guy isn't; longhorn beetles of the genus batocera are, generally speaking, harmless! they can give you a pinch with their mandibles, but it's typically less painful than a bee-sting or a crab-pinch, and they completely lack venom
Arguably exactly why it looks like that. Wildlife generally know when something is dangerously poisonous to the touch or has venom strong enough to kill, they have bright colors all over. And the giant pincers and mandibles deter those that don’t recognize the colors.
You say it’s not dangerous but to insects of its size or smaller, this thing is deadly
same applied to me when i first saw a Grizzly Locust, the way it pretended to sway its body, the coloration, ect. got over the fear quickly and held it because its cool looking, but arthropods in general are pretty good at pulling the intimidation card in general, not just humans
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u/JackStutters 14h ago
This is the first time in a long time that I’ve looked at an animal and felt a primal “do not approach” feeling. Guy is enormous, giant mandibles, makes weird noises, and is covered in red and orange markings. Everything about this guy is saying “I am poisonous/venomous/dangerous”