Calling all Beetle Lovers

>> Saturday, July 9, 2011

Okay, so I need a little help here. Anybody recognize this gruesomely enormous fellow? The poor critter got hoovered up by my puppy in the back yard, then hacked back up on my hallway floor. My pets then gathered around and stared at him. He was much the worse for the wear by the time my husband swooped in and rescued him from sure death by cat.

He's one burly bug.

So, a couple of things about him make me think "scarab" - the burly size, those cool lamellate antennae, which you can kind of see here:

But I can't get any closer than that, and I am not even certain I'm right.

Any suggestions?

Oh, by the way, I think we rescued him in time. By the time we finished taking his glamor shots and relocated him outside, he was starting to scuttle about at a healthy pace. May he (or she) live to reproduce, because s/he's cool as heck.

5 comments:

Jacqueline Donnelly July 9, 2011 at 10:01 PM: I'm glad to know there's at least one other beetle lover in the world.
Louise July 10, 2011 at 7:32 AM: I don't have a clue, but, that is one cool bug.
biobabbler July 11, 2011 at 11:46 PM: Ooh, I'd ask MObugs or BugGirl or AmIBuggingYouYet (all blogs). Once you said lamellate I know you're way past me in bug-IQ, so meekly indicating ento-stars to my right and left. I'll go do the dishes, or something. =) Nice REScue!
Kritter Keeper at Farm Tails July 13, 2011 at 5:07 PM: i think we have something similar to that but ours are called tuxedo beetles and i think ours are a bit longer in size. i always help them when i find them on their backs struggling to turn over...i guess i am just a crazy farm lady! :)
Ellen Rathbone July 19, 2011 at 1:05 PM: Send your pics to BugGuide.net - they are GREAT at getting back to you with an answer in almost no time flat.

That said, I'm thinking a carrion beetle of some kind. I just ID'd one for a colleague (American Carrion Beetle), but it has a yellow scute behind the head.

Try Oiceoptoma noveboracense as a springboard...