Velocity, pitch angle and ground clearance of beetles during runs on flat ground, before and after covering eyes or clipping antennae (mean ± s.d. control: N = 20 beetles, n = 225 runs; blind: N = 5, n = 46; clipped: N = 10, n = 75); (a,b) treatments had no effect on velocity and body pitch angle (c) antennectomized beetles slightly decreased ground clearance (Kruskal–Wallis test (H = 8.43, d.f. = 2, p = 0.015) followed by comparison with control using Steel method (p = 0.023)).