Subject: Elephant Beetle?
Location: Sayulita, Nayarit Mexico
December 2, 2014 7:03 am
Hello, I live in Nayarit, Mexico on the Pacific Coast and came across this large beetle on my brick wall the other morning. The body is only a little smaller than the palm of my hand, the arms are barbed and it has two “toes” at the end of each arm. It has furry blondish color hair near the underside of its shell, but otherwise almost all black. The weather has been cooler 80s during the day and low 60’s at night, otherwise a fairly typical tropical environment.
Signature: Thank you for your assistance
Subject: Large Beetle found in Sayulita, Mexico
Location: Sayulita, Mexico
December 3, 2014 11:59 am
Hello Bugman!
A friend of mine found this lovely being just a couple of days ago. She lives in Sayulita, Mexico. She said his body is just smaller than the palm of her hand. Facebook folks are speculating that he may be a she, a female Rhino Beetle. We welcome any assistance. And yes, she too is a guardian of all things living, so this little (big) fellow/gal will be safe in her space. She simply would like to know what to call him/her.
Many thanks, and I remain a devoted evangelist for your fabulous site!
PS: Something odd happens when I share your link on FB. The image and initial paragraph that emerge with the link look like they belong to another site called “UM Travels”. See attached screen shot.
Signature: Kenda
Dear Kenda and friend,
Since you both submitted the same image, we are posting both of your emails with the image of this female Hercules Beetle or Rhinoceros Beetle in the genus Dynastes. In addition to the species found in the U.S., which also range into Mexico, this might also be a female Dynastes hercules, the true Hercules Beetle, which may be viewed on BeetleSpace. According to Animals A-Z: “The Hercules beetle is the largest and most well known of all of the rhinoceros beetles, a group of large beetles that are closely related to the famous scarab beetle. The Hercules beetle is found throughout the tropical jungles and rainforests of Central and South America, where the Hercules beetle spends the majority of it’s time foraging through the leaf-litter on the forest floor in search of something to eat.” The range map includes Nayarit.
Thank you Daniel for your reply. I posted this picture on the local FB page here in Sayulita and everyone had a fun time taking guesses as to what it was. A friend had recently come across the male Hercules Beetle while hiking in the jungle, with the wonderful horn on its head, so we suspected this might be the female with all of the other similarities. Thank you for confirming.
I’m glad Kenda shared your site with me, living in the tropical jungle of Mexico provides me with an endless supply of “what’s THAT?” and strangely enough my house seems to attract an abundance of rare creatures – much to my joy and amazement.
attached is a picture of one of my favorite visitors – the harlequin beetle – what a beauty…
Thanks again.
Katie
I live in Puerto Penasco Mexico on the sea of Cortez and last night I had Flying black Beatles on my balcony and one even flew into the house. About the size of a quarter or smaller more oval shape with long legs. I believe they’re attracted to light and last spring they were everywhere here and Penasco. Someone told me they were stink bugs but I don’t believe that as they don’t look like what you have identified as a stink bug. They are very scary looking! I am not a fan of bugs they freak me out. Can you identify this. I have lived here for years and only in the last two have I seen this bug and have been told it’s an eight year cycle for them to be born. But here they are again this year. How do you get rid of them. Are they damaging do they bite what do they do Even my cat would not attack it.