What is this insect ? - Ask Extension
I found this beetle in a dollar store in bowie md i really dont want it to die but it was barley moving when i found it Any idea how to care for it?
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What is this insect ? #876217
Asked July 07, 2024, 4:59 PM EDT
I found this beetle in a dollar store in bowie md i really dont want it to die but it was barley moving when i found it Any idea how to care for it?
Prince George's County Maryland
Expert Response
This looks like a female Eastern Hercules Beetle. Adults don't eat much and their habitat is woodlands. It probably flew by the outdoor store lighting at night, became disoriented and wound-up indoors by accident. Adult beetles eat tree sap and fruit. The grubs eat rotting wood. They are very cool critters.
It's probably near the end of its adult life, so best to put it in some nearby woods in case it's able to lay eggs in a rotting log before dying.
More info from U of MD Entomologist Mike Raupp:
https://bugoftheweek.com/blog/2019/12/16/a-giant-among-beetles-hercules-beetle-dynastes-tityus
Thanks for contacting Ask Extension.
It's probably near the end of its adult life, so best to put it in some nearby woods in case it's able to lay eggs in a rotting log before dying.
More info from U of MD Entomologist Mike Raupp:
https://bugoftheweek.com/blog/2019/12/16/a-giant-among-beetles-hercules-beetle-dynastes-tityus
Thanks for contacting Ask Extension.
