Eastern Hercules Beetle
What a pleasant surprise it was to find this beauty hiding in the rocks at my community pool.
My daughter Kiko and her friends were chasing lizards (Brown Anoles) when she saw this hiding in the rocks. She thought it was some sort of shell or ball at first and then realized it was moving!
Unfortunately I did not have my Nikon and had to use my Galaxy S9+ to take pictures, but it all worked out in the end. What an amazing creature!
I had to look it up, but was able to quickly identify it as an Eastern Hercules Beetle (Dynastes Tityus). No two shells are alike - they are unique to each individual. Close inspection of this shell certainly supports that theory.
He started to walk towards the pool and we carefully placed him back under cover. I hope we see more in the future, they are fascinating to watch!
All pictures taken by @rawruss with a Galaxy S9+ on July 24, 2018 in North Florida. No Beetles were hurt during the photoshoot!
This is really creepy, but fascinating at the same time.
It looks to be very large, but the rocks and the twigs may be large or small, so it's difficult to tell. Just how big is this lovely specimen of a beetle I find very handsome, but somewhat scary with that pincer beak?
This one was about 2 inches long. Wikipedia says adults are between 1.6 to 2.4 inches. I believe they are safe and don't bite, but they certainly look scary! This one was so cute and calm. I have a lot of respect for them now and hope to find more (if I do I will post it!). Thanks for your support!
Wow! That one is quite a find and it's gorgeous.