Hi folks,
I figured this question might be better answered here than the caving (or entomology!) forums I'm a part of.
Here's a question from a friend:
"Several ex-miners I've known have reminisced about a large grey insect - a beetle, I think - that was found underground in South Wales pits and was known as a 'Shoni Dau Gorn' (Johnny Two Horns). I believe that Shonis may have arrived in the bark of imported pit props, and they seemed to thrive underground. A prank sometimes played by miners was to place a shoni in another man's 'snap' box as an unwelcome surprise.
Do you or any of your friends know what species they might be - or perhaps I should say, 'might have been' - since the local populations presumably would not have survived the abandonment of the underground workings"
Anyone have any ideas, recollections etc about this?
Thanks
Will