Subject: Large Scarab with Extremely Long Legs
Geographic location of the bug: South Mississippi
Date: 01/07/2018
Time: 09:15 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi bugman, I am an environmental biology student with a love for all things nature. I’m usually pretty good at identifying animals and insects but this one has stumped me. I found it on a box turtle carcas in a pitcher plant bog/ wetland area. I’m pretty sure it is in the scarab group, but it has acceptionally long legs. The 3rd set are about 1.25 inches long, and the 2nd set are about 1 inch long. I have yet to see it poke its head out but it has 4 little spikes near its mouth. If you can help me identify this beetle I would really appreciate it! Thank you for your time!
How you want your letter signed: Jaden
Dear Jaden,
We quickly identified your Scarab Beetle as a Humpbacked Dung Beetle, Deltochilum gibbosum, thanks to this BugGuide image. According to BugGuide: “Large, round, dull black beetle. Male has a prominent hump on each elytron. Front tarsi absent. Clypeus has two sets of teeth, the inner ones pointy, the outer rounded (hard to see in photos)” and the habitat is “wooded places; on carrion, dung, rotting fruit, fungi.” According to Encyclopedia of Life: “Found in woodlands from Virginia south to Florida and as far west as Texas and Illinois. Also occurs in Mexico.”
Dear Bugman,
This is Jaden just emailing you to thank you for identifying my humpback dung beetle! He was very interesting to come into contact with and snap a few pictures of! I appreciate your time and effort! Keep up the good work!
Thank you again,
Jaden
