By Kay Whatley, Editor
A few weeks ago, my youngest and I came across a strange sight: a beetle on the school sidewalk which measured more than two inches long. It looked more like an Egyptian scarab than something you’d expect to see in NC!
Turns out, it is an Eastern Hercules Beetle. Although it is found in NC, this beetle is a type of scarab — like the scarab beetles found in Egyptian art.
The beetle shown — found on the sidewalk of a Nash County high school building — is a female Eastern Hercules Beetle. The male beetles have “rhinoceros” horns on their heads and are even bigger than this 2+ inch female. The beetle is green with darker spots.
NC is home to some big, bright, unexpected bugs and critters. Some are creepy, some larger than a person might like, and some beautiful.
What interesting NC creatures have you come across?
More information on the Eastern Hercules Beetle, including photos, may be found on this Wikipedia.org page.
