On account of the length of its implement the beetle commences her work standing upright, supported by the two hind-legs.

Imagine a slip, a false step on the part of the two adhesive feet; the unfortunate creature will immediately lose her footing, dragged by the elasticity of the snout, which she was forced to bend somewhat at the beginning.

Torn away from her foothold, the suspended insect vainly struggles in air; nowhere can her feet, those safety anchors, find a hold.

She starves at the end of her snout, for lack of foothold whereby to extricate herself.

Like the artisans in our factories, the elephant-beetle is sometimes the victim of her tools.