Blaps deplanata - Flat-headed beetle
The body of this beetle is usually large, bare on top, with elytra featuring a long tail-like projection at the tip.
The coloration of the beetles is mostly black. During the day, they hide in pits or burrows of rodents and are active at dusk.
The larvae live in the soil, feeding on plant roots.
If disturbed, the beetle will slowly raise its rear end high, lower its head, and freeze in this peculiar and amusing defensive posture for a long time. It will also release a foul-smelling liquid.
Folklore has not overlooked these beetles. It was believed that once these beetles were stars in the sky.
But soon they became conceited, i.e., "star-struck." One day, the beetles lingered so long in the sky that they did not notice the sun rising, and they rolled down from the sky, forming the Milky Way. Now they are just ordinary earth beetles; they suffer from their past and hide their heads in the ground out of shame when someone approaches.
Distribution: the territory of the Issyk-Kul basin, the Pre-Fergana regions of Kyrgyzstan.
Insects of Kyrgyzstan
