Subject: Unique Beetle
Location: Guayaquil, Ecuador
April 27, 2013 3:53 pm
On night while I was in Guayaquil, Ecuador, I found this unique little beetle enjoying my soft bed as I retired to go to sleep. Of course, I relocated him to a more suitable sleeping location for beetles, but not before snapping a few pictures to remember him by. Though I love bugs, I’m not very good at identifying them. Hopefully you enjoy the pictures, and are able to find out a bit more about him! This beetle was about the size of a nickle.
Also, how can I learn to identify bugs? What websites/books would you recommend?
Thanks!
Signature: Eric
Hi Eric,
This gorgeous specimen is a Scarab Beetle, and we believe it is either Gymnestis stellata or a very closely related species. We initially found a matching photo on the French website Le forum des sciences de la vie et de la Terre. We are also very amused that you can get a Venezuelan phone card with this beetle’s photo on the Colnect website. We would suggest that you get a good field guide for your locality as a way to begin to learn more about insects. If you are from North America, we recommend the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America by Eric Eaton.
Thanks for the quick reply, your identification seems unquestionable based on the other pictures Google supplies! I’ll pick up Eric Eaton’s book as soon as I’m able!
I also have a few more pictures from my stay in Ecuador, if you’d like me to send them in.
Much appreciated!
Please submit one at a time and put Ecuador in the subject line.
When I worked as a correctional officer I had 1 incarcerated individual throw in the shower stall with another incarcerated individual and that poor chap ran out of the shower screaming about something removing a very important part of his anatomy! It was an extremely large light tan insect that had 2 pinchers on the front of it. It was a good 3 inches long and not a slim bug. This was in New Hampshire and I have never seen another. Just curious and I do realize I may not have given you much to go on. The end of the story is that the chap that threw it in the shower had to remove it and the other guy was not hurt. Extremely funny and thankfully no one got hurt.
Our first guess is a Toe-Biter, also called an Electric Light Bug because they are attracted to lights.