Scarab Beetle
Reader Steve Jackson sends us this picture from Austin, Texas. He has this to say about him:
“I found this guy (??) behind my home (Austin, Texas) on August 18. A bit of net research makes it a scarab - Strategus for sure, probably Strategus aloeus - but if it’s a minor male it’s underdeveloped and if it’s a female it has an atypically big horn. I kept it for a few days to show to people who didn’t realize we had any native beetles bigger than a June bug, and then put it back where I found it. It was very deliberate in its movements and did not try to fly away.
I didn’t measure it at the time, but a measurement of my thumb, which hasn’t changed much since the picture was taken, leads to a reliable estimate of 37mm from tip of abdomen to tip of “snout.”
The camera was a Canon PowerShot SD550 held in the hand that didn’t have a bug on it.”
I did some digging and discovered that this is indeed a male Strategus aloeus. The horn is smallish for the species but the bug is otherwise quite typical.
I just want to say that getting to introduce Steve Jackson (yes, THAT Steve Jackson) as “Reader Steve Jackson” makes me incredibly happy. I met Steve at a convention a few years ago, and because I was hanging out with Howard Tayler, I got to spend the day with him, including getting a tour of Warehouse 23. Steve is even cooler in person than he is online.
Slowly getting the site back onto an even keel. It's nice to get back into the old posting rhythm.
Don Monkey said,
November 12, 2007 @ 10:17 am
Awesome picture! I know nothing about bugology (including, apparently, what to actually call it) but I hadn’t been aware than any kind of scarab beetle could be found in North America. Thanks to a little looking on bugguide.net, I now know that there may even be one kind of scarab beetle to be found here in Southern Alberta!
I am also amused by the fact that upon reading your first paragraph, I concluded that “it must not be THAT Steve Jackson, because he has been described simply as ‘Reader Steve Jackson’”. Nicely worded.
AJ said,
November 12, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
Man, not only does Steve Jackson make awesome games, but he has good taste in bugs. What a beautiful scarab!
Don said,
November 12, 2007 @ 8:10 pm
Ah very cool. Steve Jackson and company make some very interesting games. Apparently, Mr. Jackson also enjoys his bugs. Yup, pretty darn cool.
Morigale said,
November 12, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
I think I met one of those bugs once. (I’m in Texas also)
It bumbled onto my computer screen and I screamed my wussy little head off (while fleeing at full speed) because I thought it was a giant roach.
By the time I got my nerve up to look for it, it was gone, but I found it the next day, hanging around by the back door. Poor critter acted like it was on its last legs and didn’t even have the strength to fly away, so I put it outside on a bush. Also took a couple of pictures of it next to a ruler, but they didn’t come out very well.
Beth said,
November 13, 2007 @ 1:31 pm
I’m such a geek — I was hoping your “reader Steve Jackson” was the Steve Jackson I want to meet
That is a gorgeous beetle! I’m really enjoying this site, even the spider pictures. Thank you!