Derobrachus geminatus AKA: Palo Verde Beetle

[Spitfire of ATJ]

It was already dead when I found it.

[longship]

1. Quote: Biologist JBS Haldane...

When asked what he thought about god's creation, he responded:

"He has an inordinate fondness for beetles."

Haldane is very quotable. And he was correct about beetles. There are a fuck of a lot of them!

Nice post!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

2. Thanks. These things fly too.

[KT2000]

3. Last year I saw 2 large insects

fly straight through the hardware cloth that encloses my deck - both sides. A while later I saw the dead mouse outside the deck I was going to take care of, rolling back and forth!! Freaked me out because I thought he was coming back to life or something. Then the two insects appeared - carrion beetles with the orange markings on their backs. This is NW Washington and my books said they are not common here. Anyway, after reading up on them, they are really fascinating insects. They were smaller than the Palo Verde Beetle though.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. At least the Palo Verde Beetle doesn't eat in it's adult stage. As a grub they kill trees.

[KT2000]

5. are they the ones

that are responsible for damaging the forests so badly?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. No, that was a Bush.

[KT2000]

7. OK - but I swear

Reagan started the whole thing!!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. Sign on a tree for Reagan to see: "Stop me before I kill again".

[KT2000]

9. LOL!

Gotta love clever protest

[Spitfire of ATJ]

10. It was right after he claimed trees pollute more than cars.