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A Beetle On My Table

hotaka posted on Jul 09, 2008 | views: 513 | Tags: Japan, bugs, beetles, nature
Last night, on my way home, I found a kabutomushi lying on its back on the street. It is a Japanese rhinocerous beetle - Trypoxylus dichotomus .This one was a male. Last week I found a female in the same place. The location is by a bush and an industrial area where it is dark except for a single street lamp. This lamp attracts the beetles and they fly (yes, this guy can fly!) around , blinded until they crash on their backs on the street. Then they lie there waving their legs helplessly until the are crushed by a car or foot, picked up and taken home as a pet, or drowned in the rain or baked in the sun. I took the female home and set her in my little garden space and I did the same with the male. But not before a little photo session on my kitchen table.
 
 

pen and beetle
Here he is next to a pen for scale.


beetle face

Here's the left eye if you can see it. His face is well hidden by his hefty gear.


beetle feet

These are the hooks on his legs for gripping tree bark. They stick a little in your skin and you might feel like you are being bitten but actually they just scratch a little.


beetle horns

Here's the male's horns. He uses them in battles with other males. Now there is a popular manga and anime series called Mushi King about the powerful big bugs of the warmer climes. Mushi means bug in Japanese.


beetle shell

This is the finger clipper. The beetle is strong enough that if you get your fingers caught in here he can bend his head back and cut through the flesh. Needless to say, I am not a beetle handling expert and so I used my keys and train pass to move him around. It seems he has a little dent in his shell, possibly from his crash with the pavement.



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Comments

  • secretlife said on Jul 09, 2008....
    i'd be one of the people that step on them.
    i HATE beetles!!!!!!!!
    we have june bugs now.  and they're small in comparison to that ghoulish bug you caught and brought into your kitchen!
    oh yuck hotaka!!!!!
  • the_infernal_optimist said on Jul 09, 2008....
    Pretty cool...from a distance. Just like this. ;-)

    He really is a pretty neat-looking beetle, but I think I'm glad we don't have those.

    ~Infernal
  • uniquely-ironic said on Jul 09, 2008....
    I may have to avoid Japan altogether if these are at all common.  Ewwwww!
  • Lucytorial said on Jul 09, 2008....
    Ohh hotcakes....... you have my favourite beetle there too! how neat... the males are great fighters, sometimes I will see them on our balcony hissing like cats at each other... once S/son woke up with one attached to his little finger! he was so terrified at first until he realised his finger was too small for it to really take hold, he kept it on his shirt all morning!
  • Lucytorial said on Jul 09, 2008....
    Ohh you should learn to pick them up at the very back.. press down hard on the back of their shell with middle finger and thumb with a good pincer grip... its funny they settle down if you hold them tight.. making sure you fingers are in between their backs and legs (kind of like pushing their legs down)
  • Lucytorial said on Jul 09, 2008....
    sugar cane beetle

     

    We also get lots of cane beetles, its cutting season here so these guys are on the move.

  • dailyachesandpains said on Jul 09, 2008....
    Hottie:  I TOTALLY thought that was plastic.  EAW!  I had to scroll right past the rest of the pictures after the third one.  YUCK!  I was afraid it would give me nightmares.  Seriously.
     
    Sorry, off topic...I thought about you last week when Mr. Daily and I were watching TV.  There's a show on here called "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" and the translation of the show name is "You Must be Crazy!" We only watched it for a few minutes and both wondered how ANYONE could even sit in the audience of the show...SO loud!  Have you ever watched it?
     
    Daily
  • Zayda said on Jul 09, 2008....
    Hotaka: I think they are fascinating looking creatures, but I don't think I could set one on my kitchen table to photograph it.
  • hotaka said on Jul 09, 2008....
    secret, oh come on now. Go easy on the little blighters. Ladybugs are beetles too you know.

    infernal, I have always been interested in the bigger insects. I think Nature is amazing when you see what She has created.

    UI, it's summer now so the beetles are out. Come back in a couple of months and only the dragon flies and mantises (manti?) will be left.

    Lucy, thanks for that photo. That was really cool. Yes, now that you mention it I think I saw on TV how to handle those big bugs and it was like you said. You're my hero for today.

    BGG, I fail to see the connection with this post. Care to explain? Otherwise I will be tempted to delete it as random spamming.

    daily, I am not sure about that game show but I could tell you stories about Japanese TV that would make you Americans go screaming for your lawyers if you were on the same program.

    Zayda, well that is understandable. I do take my interest in nature a bit further than the average person. I actually have an empty aquarium that I could have used but I felt the beetle would be happier back outside.
  • Lucytorial said on Jul 09, 2008....
    I guess Hotaka you can't take the tom out of the tom boy, I just love animals, bugs, snakes, birds you name it I like it.. they fascinate me too much not to touch I bow to you good sir!
  • crybabylu said on Jul 10, 2008....
    YUCK!
  • queenparanoia said on Jul 10, 2008....

    i just showed this to the people here and they all had the same reaction!!!

    ewwwwwwwww!!!!!!!! ohmygod that's so big!!!

    our house helper even ran out of the room!!! (she is so scared of the bug)

    but dude that is so big!!!!!!!

  • silverwhisper said on Jul 10, 2008....
    i've seen pics of those beetles but never one up close like that, and i'm not sure i'm glad to have had that experience now! :p

    btw: BGG is spamming everyone that way.

    ed
  • pickersplock said on Jul 10, 2008....
    I think he's really cool!
  • evil_twin said on Jul 10, 2008....
    Holy crap! I'd die if that was anywhere near me. Why'd I click on this?? Note to self: Never move to Japan!

    -evil_twin LA
  • polarheart said on Jul 10, 2008....
    Shiver me timbers!  But he is HUGE!!  Here in the UK bugs, beetles and the like are referred to as mini beasts, which I think is quite and apt term looking at him ;-))
  • quietone said on Jul 10, 2008....
    Now that thing looks like something from some SiFi movie!  Egads, I would not want to have that thing fly into me in the dark... well even in the day light!  I think I would also be the one stepping on him as he lie there helpless on his back..sorry I don't like bugs like that!  Lucy's beetle is very similar and huge!  Thanks for sharing hotaka.. it was interesting!
  • skald said on Jul 10, 2008....
    It really is big. Thanks for sharing.
    Lucie's beetle is really big too.
  • wombat said on Jul 10, 2008....
    Nice photograpy and information....Creepy little buggers, they are....but interesting.  Lucy's photo gave me the heebie-jeebies!
  • SeanRenaud said on Jul 10, 2008....
    Fuck that noise.  I'd shoot that thing, it's only slightly less creepy that camel spiders.  If I didn't have a nuclear missle handy (I believe in being thorough) a sniper rifle will do, if niether are available I'm going to silently back away and hope it didn't notice me.  And please tell me that brown beastie doesn't fly cus shit, it's been a while since I played junebug baseball but if that sucker comes at me I keep a sword in my trunk (incase of zombie infestations).
  • killingme4u said on Jul 10, 2008....
    OMG i'm squirimng just looking at these freakin bug's.yuck.i'm w/ SeanReanaud and would shoot any damn bug.where i'm at the worst i get is those stink bug's and it make's me nut's....god,i hate all bug's.except SL's lightening bug's......btw alot of bug's can be killied in second's with just a few squirt's of windex,but i'd rather stomp the  the shit outta of them.....
  • secretlife said on Jul 10, 2008....
    Lucy:  i think i would faint on the spot or run for the hills if i ever saw a bug THAT big!!!!!
  • SeanRenaud said on Jul 10, 2008....
    Better hope yourn't with my Secret, either that or you better be hot and willing to put out cus other wise I'm tripping you as I flee.  Remember I don't have to outrun the bear. . .
  • Me-Myself&I said on Jul 10, 2008....
    now that is cool! i've seen them before too. oh Lucy....just alittle bit toooooo big for my likings. i'll take a beetle any day over those spiders.
     
    Hotaka, thanks for the creepy show. *smile* ~see ya
  • moonriver said on Jul 10, 2008....
    hotman -- if you can catch a few more of these in one night, i think they'd make a nice side dish for arroz valenciana. cut off the horns, legs and wings. you might want to cut off the head too and just retain the thorax, if you're not too keen on heads. marinate for an hour in (my now famous!) kikkoman sauce and lemon juice, then fry quickly in a really hot pan lightly coated with corn oil. crunchy outside, buttery inside. garnish with parsley if you like. yum.


  • hotaka said on Jul 10, 2008....
    Lucy, don't bow to me. Just show me how to safely pick up other beasties. My wife has more courage than I do. She showed me how to catch dragonflies by twirling my finger before their faces and then snapping them up by the wings.

    crybabylu, God's creatures, Dee. We all share the planet.

    queenP, I would have thought you were used to big bugs in the Philippines. Surely you have some that are even bigger.

    silverW, you have to marvel at the ingenuity of Nature though. Yes, I saw that Satanic Rap stuff on other blogs too. He's gone from here now.

    Thanks pickers. I like a woman who likes bugs.

    evilT, you just know this was posted in response to your beetle story. How timely I could find this guy so soon after reading your story.

    polar, and I bet there would be a number of photographers inetersted in photographing him too, but outside and not on a kitchen table.

    quietone, I would be concerned about this guy flying near me too because they don't have the grace of a swallow. Imagine getting hit in the forehead. Ouch! As for stepping on it, ha, I doubt you would want to get near enough to put your foot over this guy. With those hooked legs waving about I am sure you would prefer to just run away.

    skald, I was impressed with Lucy's beetle for sure. I think they sell them in the stores here.

    wombat, they are interesting, aren't they? Whether you think they are cool or creepy you still have to admire Nature's design.

    SeanRenaud, since you have been trying to get laid I have noticed a definite change in your tone from the usual you. I always took you to be so intellectual and very skillful at debating. You need a good lay and soon. As for the bug, you don't have to run far. Yes, they fly. But not far and not so gracefully. Also, unless you are a piece of melon you don't have to worry about being eaten, unlike with the bear.

    killingme, I think you would need a lot of Windex.

    secret, no need to run. Just step back and call the boys over. They would love this thing.

    MMI, hey at least you won't have beetles like this to live with on your camping trip. Btw, how are things going? If I have a moment I will stop by for updates.

    moonchef, I was waiting for your comment. Yes, as in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom you can make a meal out of a few of these. But I prefer to watch them for a bit and then let them go free. Still, your recipe is worth noting in case I get lost in the bush with a bottle of Kikkoman sauce.
  • gingersoul said on Jul 10, 2008....
    Hottie......man, and i thought of having seen the biggest beetles of my life here in Texas!....;-D

    I was sure you were showing some new cool Japanese toy...i don't know ...some mini robot that would pop out and and transform in a gigantic black Pokemon...lol....

    I like him, though...because of his hard shell and his legs and horn....you know my phobia already....anything without legs and slimey and i am out of here..

    Next time lizards, pleassse......you promised me, remember?
  • gingersoul said on Jul 10, 2008....
    Hottie......man, and i thought of having seen the biggest beetles of my life here in Texas!....;-D

    I was sure you were showing some new cool Japanese toy...i don't know ...some mini robot that would pop out and and transform in a gigantic black Pokemon...lol....

    I like him, though...because of his hard shell and his legs and horn....you know my phobia already....anything without legs and slimey and i am out of here..

    Next time lizards, pleassse......you promised me, remember?
  • evil_twin said on Jul 10, 2008....
    After I read this post, I went to work. And what did I see on the walkway when I went to open the door? A beetle! It was huge. But it wasn't this particular one. It looked like this instead. I'd never seen this thing before either, but I had to look it up. I hope I don't find this thing in my house now, because I won't be taking it's picture :-P

    -evil_twin LA
  • hotaka said on Jul 10, 2008....
    ginger - Lizards are coming. One anyway. I was waiting to read your response to this beetle. Glad to see you like him. He and his cousins are truly remarkable, I think. Of course, some of his cousins are even bigger than Lucy's contribution.

    evilT, we got some of those in the warehouse where I worked in Canada. They came in dead on some products we ordered from California. A guy I worked with did his uni masters on entomology and he could tell us about every dead beetle that came in stuck in the plastic wrap from the U.S.
  • queenparanoia said on Jul 11, 2008....
    i haven't seen one that big!!! i dont like bugs!!!
  • fearing said on Jul 11, 2008....
    Scooter Bug has a book called something like "Real Life Monsters" and I took it to school this year and shared it with the kids.  It had one of these beetles in it and we talked about it could pinch your finger between the plates of his armor.  The pictures were all drawings so it's I'm happy I got to see it in real life.  I'll have to show this to Scooter Bug too - he loves that book!  .......Now, got an octopus the length of a couple of buses laying around?   We wanna see that too.  ;-) 

    Those are very good pictures Hotaka!
  • SeanRenaud said on Jul 11, 2008....
    No violence and no pussy make Sean go . . .
    "Go crazy?"
    Don't mind if I do!  Blwha, whra!  EWerewr!
     
    Also no I just hate big bugs, ever seen a camel spider up close?  Trust me an arachnid that is as big around as a dinner plate and isn't afraid of you is a spooky SOB.
  • hotaka said on Jul 12, 2008....
    fearing, I think I have seen a number of photos recently of giant squid that are very long, though maybe not the length of two buses. Here is a site with some info.

    SeanRenaud, I have heard about camel spiders. Before replying here I went to look at this site. It sounds like they aren't too dangerous but the fact that they can be big and aggressive makes them worthy of respect in the sense that you don'T want to mess with one or find one in your cupboard by surprise.

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How Would You Answer The Obama A-Bomb Question?

stopmediabias posted 4 days ago | views: 48 | Tags: politics, atomic bomb, President Obama, Japan
He didn't even try to answer it. What would be your answer? Were we right in dropping the bombs on Japan?... read entire post 8 comments