I want to warn all you detectorists out there of an unforeseeable danger lurking under the surface of your local parks and playgrounds; yesterday I was busy digging up a bottle cap and reached into the half meter deep hole with my hand to scoop out the loose material that had been evading my Lesche knife. Suddenly I felt an uncomfortable sensation on the end of my little finger. Hurriedly depositing the handful of soil nowhere in particular I observed a large green beetle with its talons clamped down on the end of my finger (see photo).
These beetles are likely non-venomous, and in all honesty it didn’t really hurt that much. The danger therefore lies in who else might be present to see you scream like a little girl while running in circles wavering one arm wildly above your head. Under unfavourable circumstances this could be off-putting to a potential mate for example, and would no doubt be disconcerting to any picnickers with small children, livestock, or wildlife in the area. I would hate to see someone’s son or daughter lose all respect for them from something as minor as a beetle attack. I of course casually plucked the little fella off with my teeth and spat him over my shoulder into the woods. However I could see how this could be a real problem for a less rugged outdoorsman than myself so proceed with caution.
rgmcbrid attached the following image(s):