male Eastern Hercules Beetle-maybe?
July 6, 2010
Hi Bugman,
We found this beetle on the ground in a natural area in our backyard. He was just sitting there, not moving. We don’t know if he is dead or if an exoskeleton would even look like this. Looking around your great site we think it may be a male Eastern Hercules Beetle. It was found in June of this year. We are really curious what state it is in…is it real and dead or (hopefully) alive and this is just his old skin?
Can’t sleep until we know!
Charlotte, NC
Eastern Hercules Beetle
Dear Sleepless in Charlotte,
Your identification of this male Eastern Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus, is correct. It appears to have died. The final molt when the beetle becomes an adult happens in the rotting wood where the larva developed. The length of the horns of the male Eastern Hercules Beetles vary considerably from individual to individual and your individual has smaller horns than most.
I like This
Hi Guys! This was my little guy. I haven’t seen another since, although I’m sure they’re here. 🙂
I do have a great pic of a centipede I will send you.
Still loving your site. Thank you for all your hard work in educating people about our wonderful creatures of the world. Sincerely, Rebecca Brett