What is this thing?? I have seen several of them around the outside of our house, once right in front of our door. Luckily it was on its back, but it looked like it had wings ☹ and it was huge. I’m really terrified of insects (although I have learned to appreciate them in photographs thanks to my Pbase friends ;-)), but in person, I panic. I wish my head-on picture had turned out (but I didn’t dare get too close) because it had a very combative appearance!

Thanks to Conny Ellison, I now know this is a stag, or rhinoceros, beetle. She linked me to pictures of the male. I hope I never see one of them in my garden!