The Tanner

Fascinating facts about the The Tanner

• At up to 45 mm long, Prionus coriarius stretches nearly two inches, making it the heavyweight champion of European beetles. Its body, dark brown to black, glistens like polished wood, and the females outsize the males, adding extra bulk.
• The larvae of the tanner beetle grow to about 60 mm (2.4 in), and they live inside rotting wood of both deciduous and coniferous trees. Feeding on this decayed timber, they can stay hidden for at least three years before emerging as adults.
• Adult tanner beetles make their brief appearance from July through September. Their activity a crepuscular and nocturnal habit.
• The tanner beetle is a common sight across most of Europe, but its range stretches far beyond, reaching into North Africa and the Near East, including Turkey, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, and Iran.
• Male tanner beetles sport long, serrated antennae made up of twelve distinct segments. Meanwhile, each side of their neck shield bears three distinct teeth.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the The Tanner

In the warm, golden light of a summer's evening, the Tanner beetle emerges, its elongated body gliding effortlessly across the forest floor with a gentle, unhurried elegance. As it moves, the soft rustle of leaves and snapping of twigs beneath its feet serve as a reminder of its quiet, unassuming nature, a creature that weaves in and out of the underbrush with the stealth of a phantom. With its dark, burnished carapace glistening like polished leather, the Tanner beetle is a master of understated refinement, a testament to the beauty that can be found in the often-overlooked corners of our natural world.

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