Unicorn Beetle on the CCS Playground!

Three of my students found me in my classroom this afternoon, and delighted me with the gift of a marvelous beetle specimen. They found it on the playground, and "rescued" it from being consumed by ants. "It's so cool--and smells like broccoli!" they proclaimed.

Here is a website that identifies the beetle the boys found. It’s a great specimen…really stinky!

http://www.naturalworlds.org/scarabaeidae/species/Dynastes_tityus.htm

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Subfamily: Dynastinae
Genus: Dynastes
Species: tityus

http://wildflowers.jdcc.edu/Unicorn_Beetle.html

It’s called a “Unicorn Beetle,” and is the largest beetle in the United States! It is one of two species of rhinoceros beetles in America.

Thanks for helping me get a great start on my insect collection! Keep collecting, exploring and observing!