Categories

giant beetle
Thu, May 21, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Dear Bugman,
We live in the Republic of Panama, prime insect territory. My husband was swimming laps in the pool this morning and he found this insect floating in the pool. He brought it home to show the kids. We thought he was dead. We put him on the front porch so the ants could eat his insides and we could have a clean specimen to keep. When I returned from taking the kids to school, he was gone. I found him in a ficus tree. Is he a goliath beetle? What would he eat? What is a good site on the internet to help identify Central American insects?
He is 4 inches long not including his legs. The picture shows his width in inches.
Buggy in Panama
Republic of Panama

female Hercules Beetle

Dear Buggy in Panama,
Your beetle is not a he.  this is a female Hercules Beetle, Dynastes hercules, one of the largest beetles in the world.  The male is a much larger beetle, and he has two impressive horns.  The Natural Worlds website has information and some nice images.

female Hercules Beetle

Related Posts

1. Female Hercules Beetle (June 30, 2008)
2. Female Hercules Beetle (June 24, 2005)
3. Female Eastern Hercules Beetle (June 30, 2009)
4. Female Eastern Hercules Beetle ()
5. Female Eastern Hercules Beetle (August 23, 2009)