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Large hard beetle-type bug
Sun, Apr 26, 2009 at 9:55 AM
We came home one August night and heard a horrible scraping/grating noise coming from our fireplace. Upon inspection, we saw a dusty leg clawing desperately out of the fireplace vent. We unscrewed the vent plate and found this dusty fatty. (We live in the Appalachian Mountains in southwestern Virginia.)
Sara McMurray
Appalachian Mountains, southwestern Virginia

Eastern Hercules Beetle

Hi Sara,
This is a female Eastern Hercules Beetle.  The male of the species has some impressive horns.  The larvae eat rotting wood and the adults feed on rotting fruit.  According to BugGuide, the Eastern Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus, is the heaviest North American beetle.  Many beetles are attracted to lights, and it is possible that the light inside your home lured this impressive beetle to your fireplace.

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