rss Hello,
Any idea what bug this is? I found it flying outside near the top of my birch tree.
Thank you
Hal
Hi Hal,
You have a species of June Beetle. Your photo isn’t the best quality and it is difficult to tell if the color is really golden or if it is a reflection from your flash.
On Wednesday, June 9, 2004, I found an eastern Hercules beetle resting on the gas pump near my home in Statesville, NC. I know that he is male because he has the most beautiful set of horns. He was quite docile whenever I found him; he may have been hungry or thirsty, I’m guessing. Anyway, I am keeping him in a ventilated clear box about 10″ by 18″ with a layer of a mixture of compost and mulch. I put a forked stick in there for him to climb on and a tiny, shallow bowl of water which I change every day. He burrows under the compost from time to time. He seems to like peeled apples and he has now become much more active. I’ve noticed that he is eating a bit of a fresh apple slice every day. He tries to rear up on his hind legs whenever I stroke his back. Unbenowance to me, I didn’t know that he is more properly called a Hercules beetle, rather than an eastern rhinoceros beetle. I had already named him Hercules! From what I’ve read, the Japanese rhinocerous beetles are sold as pets and can live to be three years old or so. What is your opinion of my keeping him as a pet? I enjoy watching him, but I certainly don’t want to shorten his lifespan by keeping him captive. If it’s okay to keep him, am I properly caring for him?
My grandchildren love “Nana’s critters”, as they call the numerous dead bumblebees, dragonflies, and other insects I’ve accumulated. This is the first time I’ve tried to keep a live insect. Any advice you can give me will be appreciated.
Diane Patrum
Dear Diane,
We have no experience keeping Hercules beetles alive, but they can be raised easily in captivity. Captive raised specimens are usually much larger than wild beetles. It sounds like you are doing everything correctly, and I see no reason why you shouldn’t keep your beetle as a pet if he is bringing you pleasure. You might want to try a google search with the word captivity as well as Hercules Beetle to find additional information. We would love to have you send in a photo if you are able. Have a nice day.
Daniel
Golden Beetle
I just found a beetle that looks very similar to a June beetle but is more pale golden in color and does not have long antennae. It’s topside looks somewhat like the Hercules or Unicorn beetle without the spots. It also has somewhat of a tiny triangular shape at the top intersection of its wings and its head somewhat like the Eastern Hercules Beetle has. It is kind of shiny as though the body is armored. I have drawn a picture of it but the picture does not really do it justice as the green you see on its wings and behind the head is more of a dotted green hue instead of stark lines. In fact I just looked at it again and the color behind the head where you see the two brown blobs is morelike two B’s, very lightly brownish hued, facing each other The white dots you see represent the shine on it. When flipped over, it is ribbed and looks more the color of a brown colored honey or horehound and its legs have somewhat fuzzy hairs on the outside edges while the chest section is fuzzy (somewhat like a bee is fuzzy). It also seems to be somewhat fuzzy under the lower portion of the wings. The hind legs get lighter at the upper portion of the leg. The undertail section is more closely ribbed than the upper section. Centered between its second set of legs and back legs is somewhat of a diamond shape with a line going through the center of the diamond (Head Tail). Your help in identifying this beetle would be tremendously appreciated!
Sincerely, Diana Isham, Grantsburg Wisconsin
Hi Diana.
We got another letter from New Hampshire reporting a similar beetle. We have decided it is probably Cotalpa lanigera which is approximately an inch long and entirely yellow with a metallic luster. It occurs near catalpa trees. It could be your beetle.
Thank you my friend! I looked up Cotalpa lanigera and thought momentarily that it might be it because it looks very much like it but its wings also looked too white. I then did a bit of research, found it on the following website and was delighted to find a lovely photo of my beetle just below Catalpa lanigera. It is called Cotalpa consobrina and is a native Arizonan like myself! I am so amazed! I lived in Arizona for the first 15 years of my life and never saw one of these! And now I’m wondering if it’s a native only in Arizona, and if so, how did it end up here in Wisconsin?
Hi Diana,
We haven’t been able to locate any information on the extent of the range of Cotalpa consobrina.
It has stickery feet that tickled on your hand. He isn’t afraid of anything. I found him walking on the parking lot at Wal-Mart down here in Lumberton, Texas. Sorry about the clarity of one photograph he kept moving and I am just leaning how to use this camera.
DeeDee Revia
Hi DeeDee,
Thank you for the photo of an Eastern Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus, also known as a Unicorn Beetle. Unicorn is something of a misnomer, since your side view reveals additional horns. These are among the largest American Beetles.
Mystery Beetle with Cute Antennae
Could you identify this beetle that I found in our backyard this morning? I am attaching a picture – the antennae are so unusual – and I have to say it – cute. We live in Pembroke Pines, FL – south Florida just south of Ft. Lauderdale.
Dear Suze,
I must say I admire that you polish your nails before digging in the dirt. You have a magnificent photograph of a female Rainbow Scarab, Phanaues vindex, which is relatively common in Florida. These are scarab beetles further classified as Dung Beetles or Tumblebugs. The male Rainbow Scarab has a single long curved horn which arises from his head. These insects are unusual in that they work in pairs, rolling a ball of animal dung which is buried with a single egg. The dung is the food source for the developing grub. They are important in that they help clear away and break down the animal excrement, making for a more beautiful environment as well as more fertile soil. This type of beetle is the scarab of Egyptian heiroglyphics and jewelry. The ancient Egyptians were fascinated by the appearance of the beetles rolling a ball of dung in the sand and likened the ball to the orb of the sun.
Just finished looking at your page of beetles and think I have found mine. Found this specimen on my patio in Charleston, West Virginia, in July 2000. I am into the hobby of scrapbooking pictures and was including this one in my “Flora nd Fauna” album. Hope you enjoy.
S. Humphrey
Dear Sue,
Thank you for the awesome photos. We are sorry that in the interest of space, we could not include your artwork as presented, but we have included several of the better images. They are among the best photos of Dynastes tityus we have received. Your male specimen has impressive horns. I believe this enormous beetle intimidates photographers into making out of focus images.
unknown Beetle
Dear Bugman,
Today I found this exquisite beetle in my back yard, unfortunately something else ha d found him first. : ( I was wondering if you would be able to tell me what kind of beetle he is as no-one I know has seen one like him before. I’ve included a couple of photographs below but I couldn’t find a way to make them any clearer with my camera. I hope they are okay. Thanks,
JP
Hi JP,
Though you did not indicate where you are located, since the Fiddler Beetle, Eupoecila australasiae, is an Australian species, we are deducing you are somewhere down under. Fiddler Beetles can have bright green markings or golden yellow markings. These scarab beetles feed on nectar, often from eucalyptus trees, and the beetle grubs feed on rotting wood.
Hercules Beetle/Rhinoceros Beetle
(9/1/2003) What’s this Beetle
My husband found this on one of our tomato plants this weekend. I have been searching the web trying to identify it but haven’t had any luck. We are located in Claremore, Oklahoma.
Thanks for your help
Teresa
Rhinoceros Beetle
Dear Teresa,
You have taken a beautiful photograph of a male Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus. We have only received photos of dead ones in the past which can be viewed on our beetle page. The female does not have horns. Sometimes they are called Unicorn Beetles or Rhinoceros Beetles depending upon the author, but our latest sources credit the common name to be Hercules, though the scientific name remains the same. A larger species is found in the West, Dynastes granti. Adults are reported to feed off the sap of trees , especially from the Ash family, and to eat figs, while the grubs eat leaf litter and rotten wood. Some great photos of mating couples of D. granti can be found on this site:
http://beetlegate.hyperlink.cz/beetles-sides/Dynastes_granti.htm
These are reportedly the most massive beetles in North America, though some Stag Beetles may be in contention for the record. Here is a photo of Dynastes tityus on a postage stamp issued in the U.S. in 1999.
U.S. Postage Stamp
Thank you so much for your response. My husband ended up moving him the next day to a vacant field across the road because he found him on the ground in front of my barn and was afraid my horses would step on him and crush him. I hope he has a very long and productive life. I have never in my life seen a Beetle quite like him.
Thanks again
Teresa
I think you forgot to include the web address. My husband would really like
to see the picture of the postage stamp. Thanks again.
Teresa
U.S. Postage Stamps
http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/browse_content/
pressRelease.jsp?CURSOR=116&BV_UseBVCookie=yes>
Here is the entire sheet.
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