GREEN RHINO (?) found in Atlanta

[peg]

I rescued him/her from a parking deck elevator lobby and have already released him/her to a safe wooded area so I do not need care/feedng information. It was just such a beautiful and unusual creature that I wondered what it might be. Thanks, Peg

 

[Dynastes]

I rescued him/her from a parking deck elevator lobby and have already released him/her to a safe wooded area so I do not need care/feedng information. It was just such a beautiful and unusual creature that I wondered what it might be. Thanks, Peg

Thanks Peg, it took me a second to load the photo from here. It is my favorite native beetle, Dynastes tityus also known as the Eastern Hercules Beetle. It has a wide range from New Jersey to Florida to Texas but is rarely found in numbers. It's also a moderately expensive beetle.

 

[peg]

Thanks Peg, it took me a second to load the photo from here. It is my favorite native beetle, Dynastes tityus also known as the Eastern Hercules Beetle. It has a wide range from New Jersey to Florida to Texas but is rarely found in numbers. It's also a moderately expensive beetle.

Thank you and another question: expensive?

To buy or to feed/maintain?

 

[Dynastes]

They're pretty much free to maintain but they only live months after you catch them in the wild because the molted out the previous fall. Dead specimens of most beetles are worth pennies (though some are worth hundreds) while this species generally runs about $20 for a decent dead male.

 

[Peter Clausen]

Hi Orin,

Is it unusual to see them this early in the year? In Arizona the D. granti don't start really showing up for another month or so.

Peter

 

[Dynastes]

I guess it is pretty early to find them but it's not outside the normal time period.