Oracle PL/SQL Programming: A Developer's Workbook

Colophon

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The insect on the cover of Oracle PL/SQL Developer’s Workbook is a stag beetle (lucanus cervus). The stag beetle is a large, dark, tough beetle that is the largest insect in Britain. It gets its name from the male’s elk-like antlers on its head, which can be as long as the body itself. These “antlers,” which are actually part of the jaw and are called mandibles, are used to fight with other males, usually for a female and sometimes for food.

The stag beetle has thin, fragile wings that fold under the shell of its body. In order to fly, this shell lifts, the wings unfold, and the beetle flies awkwardly. It can also rub its wings together to make a sound that’s intimidating to other insects.

Stag beetles feed on plant secretions, fruit, decaying wood, and wood sap, and thus prefer a habitat of trees and vegetation. The stag beetle is widespread in parts of England but is now far less common in Japan than it once was. This beetle’s numbers are declining, and it is even on the endangered species list in some areas. Reasons for the diminishing numbers include loss of habitat, climate changes, collectors, and being killed by cars on the roads or by people stepping on them (whether accidentally or purposefully).

Mary Anne Weeks Mayo was the ...