Bess Beetle

Subject:  What beetle is this?  It hisses!
Geographic Location of the Bug:  Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia
Date:  October 19, 2017
Time:  10:39:19 AM EDT
Hi Dan,

Found this beetle in my barn in S.M.L. Va. Very pretty, shinny, and if you pick it up it hisses. So kool. Would you please let me know what kind of beetle this is? Love your website, thanks for all you and staff do to educate everyone!

Thanks Hairy Mary

Dear Hairy Mary,
This is a Bess Beetle in the family Passalidae.  According to BugGuide:  “Lifestyle of this family is unique for beetles: live in small colonies where larvae are cared for by adults of both sexes. Long life cycle, apparently more than one year. Larvae eat a rotting wood pre-chewed by adults. (Some references state larvae eat feces of adults as well.) Larvae and adults also cannibalize injured larvae.  Adults reported to fly very seldom, however they are capable of flight, contrary to statements in some sources. Adults are found at lights on occasion. They may disperse by walking, but have been observed flying under lights. …  Both adults and larvae stridulate, and this is said to serve as communication between them. Adults also stridulate when picked up, and especially, blown on. Adults stridulate by rubbing abdomen against the wings. Larvae stridulate with reduced third pair of legs–these scratch against other legs.”  The hissing sound you heard was the stridulation.