Meet Ringo - my new pet!!! (Photo heavy)

[Scotty Hunter]

We live at an RV Park out in the boonies, quite a ways from civilization. I'm not complaining, I enjoy it. But occasionally you get some odd creatures in the area... screaming kids are the most common, but bobcats in the area are not too unusual.

Luckily this guy is much more tolerable than screaming kids and bobcats. I found him walking on the gravel road just two spots down from our pull thru.  Being the oddball that I am, I couldn't help but considering him an instant pet!

So without further ado, meet Ringo Starr, the Hercules Beetle.







One of the largest and strongest beetles in North America.   Completely harmless; doesn't sting or bite, doesn't fly. I've carried him all over and shown him to several people who think I am thoroughly nuts.... and sometimes I think they are right.

But, even though bugs are not my thing in general, Ringo is just too cool to hate. Though it did take me the better part of a day before I had the courage to actually hold him. Now, after having him for 3 days, I find myself carrying him everywhere with me. He just grabs onto my arm or shirt and goes for a walk or ride on the bike.

Do I need therapy?

[dbaldock]

What does he eat, screaming kids?      

[Scotty Hunter]

One can dream.

Right now he's eating a sucrose liquid (artificial nectar) and baby food purees in fruit flavors. Even the entymology dept at a KY University is not entirely sure what the best diet for adults are, so it's somewhat trial and error. He's visibly eating and looks to be enjoying what I give him, but only time will tell if it's a suitable food or if he's slowly starving to death.

[Merlin the Elder]

...reminds me of my mother....

[amy]

Ok...   so what does "enjoying" look like?    I am just pictureing a little beetle smile!

[Scotty Hunter]

lol, well, I put a little blob of nectar a few inches in front of him and instantly he moves forward to it. His little club-looking feelers move back and forth and his front legs sometimes curl around the nectar to move it closer to his mouth.  To me, that is a beetle enjoying something.   Then again, this thread has established I am slightly.. different.

[Merlin the Elder]

...this thread has established I am slightly.. different.

Ummm... different from what or whom?  Seems perfectly normal to me...

[Scotty Hunter]

Ummm... different from what or whom?  Seems perfectly normal to me...

THANK YOU... I knew I was normal in some select circles.

[Tink]

awww, Ringo is a cute little beetle!  I saw one similar to that on my last day of work, but it was solid black.  He was hanging out in the driveway, so I took him over to the lawn.

[Scotty Hunter]

Aww thats nice Tink. I'm sure he/she thanked you. I watched a kid at the pool step on a stag beetle yesterday. The crunch heard 'round the world. Ugh. The kid enjoyed it way too much. Serial killer in the making, I tell you.

So I just got an email reply from one of my many send-outs to various insectarums and entomology departments, and it turns out Dynastes tityus (Ringo's kind) have been found on many occasions "sap sucking" on Ash trees... well, since I can't tell my ash from a hole in the ground, I was very thankful when the email covered how to make a sap-substitute. It is nothing more than dark brown sugar and water heated until liquid, then placed into a feeding sponge (much like a water sponge for hermit crabs.)

So my idea is that the nectar I am using (which is sucrose and potassium sorbate) should be somewhat ideal for him to feed on. I do, however, plan on adding some cane molasses since it did say dark-brown sugar in the email, which is ~6.5% molasses according to wikipedia.

The more I read, the more conflicting things I come across. Some recommended aged bananas as a main food source, others say fruit of any kind shorten the lifespan of Dynastes beetles. Looks like Ringo is going to be my guinea pig.

Im uploading a video to YouTube now if anyone cares to see Ringo crawling all over my hand. Ill post the link in a few minutes.

[Scotty Hunter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dhocIzX1SM

[amy]

Yep.. gotta admit that is one cool bug.   And you are pretty cool to be such a good bug Mommy.

[Auryn]

I love beetles, always have.

Ill be honest though, since they seem so difficult to take care of as there is no sucesfully proven food source,
I would think it might be best to release him back near where you found him.

As for the kid who stepped on the stag beetle, If I had seen his intent prior to the action, id have had no problem giving him a tongue lashing and rescuing the beetle- I hate people like that kid, makes me wish someone would step on him.

[Scotty Hunter]

I would think it might be best to release him back near where you found him.

As nice as that may be, Ringo is eventually destined for a frame. Far as I know they are not endangered or threatened in Kentucky, which is where I found most of the information on them so far, and I am still waiting for a reply from the MO Dept of Conservation on their status here. But Ringo's life will end here. Though I have no problems trying to make it as good for him as possible. Their lifespan in imago/beetle form is short anyhow, most of their life is spend in the larval stage. And since I don't know how long Ringo was an imago before I found him, I'm pleased with every day he's still alive and even more happy when he eats his food with gusto.

As for the kid who stepped on the stag beetle, If I had seen his intent prior to the action, id have had no problem giving him a tongue lashing and rescuing the beetle- I hate people like that kid, makes me wish someone would step on him.

Ugh I am the same way. Some of the kids around here are just pathetic, even baby birds on the ground stand very little chance at being harassed, killed or turned into a carry-around pet until they are squeezed to death. There was one boy, looked to be maybe 5, at a CHURCH PICNIC at the pavilion here. The little heathen was picking up sticks as long as he was, lashing other kids with them and laughing like Stewie from Family Guy. His dad said not a word other than "put the sticks down" a time or two. Never took the stick away, never sat the kid down for a time out, never whapped the butt (yes I DO believe in spanking). Lovely. The more I see local kids, the more I love my bug. lol!

I'll be putting up some more pics in a bit, and posting another video of Ringo with, hopefully, less of me and more of him showing. haha.

[Trillium]

He is very cool!  My son would be so jealous!