Having Trouble Locating

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Daniel J. R.

L3
From what I've heard over the years it's not hard, but I can't seem to do it.

I saw a female Eastern Hercules Beetle in an elementary school playground back when I was in elementary school (in Jefferson, MD). I'm 26 now and I've been searching for another one for years now with no luck.

I always hear they're typically found at playgrounds and parking lots by accident. I've been digging under old logs and stumps in the forests around my home; (Which is nearby the elementary school I went to.) and although I have found many different beetles during this hunt, I still have yet to come across one of these beautiful creatures. I've been out almost every night looking around light poles, but perhaps it's still too early in the season to find anything large just yet, despite I've found many different species by this point.

At the moment I'm taking care of some Bess Beetles at home, that I found in a colony nearby the home, and they've been a pleasure to have around. Anyone got any tips onto how to run into a Dynastes Tityus? They're my absolute favorite beetles and I would love to see some again, and even start caring for them if I can.
 
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It is a little early for them. they like to come out during hot and humid nights.

and try to look at places that are not using LED lights.

 
Pewrune said:
It is a little early for them. they like to come out during hot and humid nights.

and try to look at places that are not using LED lights.
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Thanks! I'll take a look around perhaps next month. Thankfully allot of the apartments and gas stations around the home don't use LED's, and often enough during the summers I find some pretty monster-sized insects around them. Mostly luna moths and dobsonflies.

 
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We don't start seeing them until July, and yes - gas stations that leave their lights on that are located as close to thick woods as possible.

We generally drive an hour, one way, to get to the best beetle spot here in Louisiana.

 
Beetle-Experience said:
We don't start seeing them until July, and yes - gas stations that leave their lights on that are located as close to thick woods as possible.

We generally drive an hour, one way, to get to the best beetle spot here in Louisiana.
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Dedication right there. XD

Yeah the playgrounds and gas stations right outside of my house tend to get them, since we live on stretches of farm lands and small towns with patches of woods.

 
Daniel J. R. said:
Dedication right there. XD
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LOL, thanks! Twice, to get to a spot in extreme north Louisiana to look for Lucanus placidus, we drove three hours, one way... setup a light for a few hours, then drove back the same night.

It was rough but they ended up being some memorable collecting trips. The area also ended up being a good spot for large dung beetles !

 
Now that it's June and the humidity is rising, I have been seeing a heck of allot more beetles out lately; Ground Beetles, Bess Beetles, Click Beetles, and the occasional Earth Boring Scarab. I've been making frequent trips to the nearby forests and finding some big bugs, and the lights around at night have been bringing in some large beetles but so far no Tityus. Some friends nearby found some recently but they may have woken a bit early?

 
Driving around and checking random lights in forested rural areas really is most likely your best bet.

It is one of the best ways to catch lots of different beetles.

I have to say that quite a few of my best finds or most memorable evenings have been at random gas stations, high school parking lots, rest areas, and churches on a hot midsummer night catching bugs.

 
JWRay said:
Driving around and checking random lights in forested rural areas really is most likely your best bet.

It is one of the best ways to catch lots of different beetles.

I have to say that quite a few of my best finds or most memorable evenings have been at random gas stations, high school parking lots, rest areas, and churches on a hot midsummer night catching bugs.
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Yeah I went driving around this morning at 3 am in my town's churches, school, and gas stations. We live in a small town surrounded by woods and farmlands and I've seen them here before. Although I did find some interesting things, nothing too big just yet lol. Got some pics though:

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Cool.

Now there are a few species of Chlaenius that come to lights - C. orbus & C. tomentosus for instance.

So if you see any Chlaenius CATCH THEM AND LETS MAKE A DEAL!

Check out my wanted ad for details.

 
Oh, one more thing. I didn't realize before, but based on your other thread you are collecting in Maryland? I didn't notice they were both your threads previously.

I don't know all that much about Dynastes, but Beetle-Experience is a substantial distance south of you. It might still be a shade on the early side up in your neck of the woods.

I dug through BugGuide records, and the earliest I see them pop up on there are early July and continuing through Sept.

The earliest one from WV was also early July.

Now as you head south, earlier records pop up. Virginia has quite a few June records and oddly enough an adult pic that says its from mid May.

But anyhow, hopefully if you keep up your efforts and the season progresses a little later maybe they will become more abundant and you will snag some.

 
JWRay said:
Oh, one more thing. I didn't realize before, but based on your other thread you are collecting in Maryland? I didn't notice they were both your threads previously.

I don't know all that much about Dynastes, but Beetle-Experience is a substantial distance south of you. It might still be a shade on the early side up in your neck of the woods.

I dug through BugGuide records, and the earliest I see them pop up on there are early July and continuing through Sept.

The earliest one from WV was also early July.

Now as you head south, earlier records pop up. Virginia has quite a few June records and oddly enough an adult pic that says its from mid May.

But anyhow, hopefully if you keep up your efforts and the season progresses a little later maybe they will become more abundant and you will snag some.
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Ah I see. Well that makes sense. Usually I don't start seeing larger insects until halfway through summer. Cicadas, Mantids, even the overly abundant Continis Notida doesn't show up til July.

 
I was in Northern Virginia 2 days ago, but I did not see any tityus.

My friends in NC told me that the tityus are out down there already!

If I remember correctly, I started seeing tityus from June 22 ~ July 18 last year.

 
Pewrune said:
I was in Northern Virginia 2 days ago, but I did not see any tityus.

My friends in NC told me that the tityus are out down there already!

If I remember correctly, I started seeing tityus from June 22 ~ July 18 last year.
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Ah ok! So for those of us a bit further north we may have to wait a bit longer, but I don't mind. Thanks for the info! I'll continue to keep my eyes out.

 
So I'm heading down to VA for a couple days. Hopefully I may yield some better results down there. C: I've been hearing stories about some big bugs.

 
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