My Kids Captured a Beetle
May 14, 2010
My kids watched this little guy cross the street for about 20 minutes. Then we caught it and took a picture, and I can’t quite figure out what it is. Dung Beetle? Rain Beetle? Scavenger Beetle? Hope you can help us!
Jill, Asher & Jacob
Chapel Hill, NC
Hi Jill, Asher and Jacob,
This sure looks like a female Rhinoceros Beetle, Xyloryctes jamaicensis, to us, but though your location is firmly in the range, your sighting is quite early, but at least a month. We know that spring came early this year, and this May sighting may be connected to the unusually warm spring. BugGuide has some photos for comparison. Because we often harbor a bit of doubt with our identifications, we will confirm this with Eric Eaton.
Eric Eaton Agrees
Daniel:
Pretty certain you are correct on this one, but you might still consult someone like Art Evans. I haven’t spent any time on the Atlantic seaboard myself….
Eric