You may spot Stag Beetles during summer evenings. This beetle species has antler-like mandibles, which are more prominent in males, resembling those of a stag. 

These mandibles play a crucial role in wrestling matches during the mating season against other males.

Stag Beetles thrive in different environments, such as dense woodlands or urban gardens. Their preferred habitat is decaying wood, which serves as food for their larvae. 

Likewise, the mother beetle lays eggs in or near rotting wood to provide a food source for her offspring. Adult beetles, on the other hand, consume tree sap and ripe fruit.

The lifespan of a Stag Beetle ranges from one to three years, depending on the species and environmental conditions.

With over 35,000 species, Leaf Beetles are one of the largest families. They come in various sizes, ranging from 0.04 to 0.71 inches, and display vibrant colors such as yellow, green, red, and blue.

This type of beetle uses their bright hues to warn predators about their toxicity. They feed on leaves, many of which are toxic to other creatures, allowing them to absorb and display the toxins externally. 

They lay their eggs on leaves, and the hatched larvae feed on them until they're ready to pupate and transform into adults.

However, not all Leaf Beetles are harmless. The Colorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) and Striped Cucumber Beetle (Acalymma vittatum) are notorious crop destroyers.

Darkling beetles have evolved understated shades of black or brown, which have helped them to survive the moisture-laden rainforest canopy and arid deserts. 

They are also known for a unique defensive behavior called "head-standing," which helps them ward off predators.

Moreover, Darkling beetles consume diverse organic matter, including decaying leaves, wood, fungi, seeds, and occasionally other insects. They act as nature's cleanup crew, recycling organic matter into the ecosystem. 

Additionally, their larvae, commonly known as mealworms, are a food source for various animals. However, some mealworms have a reputation for damaging grain storage.

The Passalidae family is home to Bess Beetles, found in forests worldwide. With around 500 species, these beetles have a shimmering armor that ranges from dark brown to black; some have a reddish-brown hue. 

These robust creatures range in size from 0.8 to 1.7 inches and are a subtle yet beautiful addition to their woodland homes.

Their unique way of communication makes Bess Beetles stand out from other insects. They produce a symphony of sounds through the friction of their wings against their abdomen, known as "stridulation.”

These types of beetles display remarkable biparental care, a behavior uncommon in beetles. Both parents diligently feed their young pre-chewed wood.

The story behind our funniest animal name will definitely make you laugh. Howard Ensign Evans, an American entomologist, traveled around Australia in the late 1970s, collecting wasps to bring home and study. He mailed some to his friend and colleague, Arnold S. Menke.

Menke looked at the wasps and identified a couple of new species. He exclaimed, “Aha! A new species!” but his colleague, Eric Grissell, responded doubtfully, " Ha!”. Menke turned out to be correct, and the wasps were newly identified species of the Sphecidae family.

He named the first wasp Aha evansi to honor his friend Howard Evans and the second one Aha ha, as a joke.

This bird is an extant species of parrot that lived in the Polynesian Islands around 700-1300 years ago. In 1987, David Steadman and Marie Zarriello described the species through archeological remains. 

The scientific name is clever wordplay, alluding to the popular Latin phrase " Veni, vidi, vici." The authors saw the opportunity in the similarity between the genus name ”Vini” and the word “Veni.” Vini is a Tahitian name for a local bird.

The common name of the Vini vidivici is conquered lorikeet. It is not a funny name but a reminder of how unfortunate species extinction is.

A species of the round fungus beetle is scientifically identified as colon rectum Hatch 1933. It is unclear why the poor thing was given this name, but it is funny. 

The scientist responsible, Melville H. Hatch, also assigned colon-inspired names to a bunch of round fungus beetles from the Leiodidae family.

The next funniest animal name came from a superstar. In 2014, Scott Shaw and Eduardo Shimbori, entomologists from the University of Wyoming, had the opportunity to name several newly identified species of insects. They had fun naming them after celebrities. 

They named a parasitoid wasp Aleiodes shakirae. The wasp infects caterpillars and causes their abdomen to twist and bend as it feeds. It reminded Shaw and Shimbori of belly dancing, for which Shakira is famous. Many other members of the genus Aleiodes have celebrity-inspired names, too.

Although killing caterpillars from the inside may sound terrible, Shakira wasps play an important role in keeping the population of plant-feeding caterpillars under 

The chicken turtle is native to the Southeast United States. It is a semi-aquatic animal that feeds on plants, aquatic insects, tadpoles, and fish. Because of its long striped neck, the chicken turtle is sometimes called the American snake neck.

In many cultures, turtle soup is a delicacy, and chicken turtle soup is particularly tasty. It gets its name because it tastes like chicken. Chicken turtles were a popular meat source in America in the 1800s.

Sarcastic fringeheads grow to a maximum of 12 inches but are larger than all other fringeheads. This fish is very aggressive and territorial.

The sarcastic fringehead may get the first part of its name from its amusing fighting style. The sarcastic fringehead will engage in a mouth-off. It will open its alien-like mouth and show its colorful interior and size to its competitor. Two male sarcastic fringeheads might even smack mouths.

Another explanation comes from the Greek word sarkasmós, which means to tear or bite and translates to ‘sarcastic’ in English. The scientist who named it was likely referring to fish’s needle-sharp teeth.