Can you help us ID this ENORMOUS beetle please folks?

lucyeff · #1 (**permalink**) 31-07-2008, 08:19 PM

Hi everyone!
I'm a newbie here but I wonder if you might be able to help us. On the way home from the takeaway, my husband has found the most enormous on the pavement.

It is unfortunately dead, but I'm pretty sure it can't be from this country as it's larger than anything I've ever seen. It is dark brown in colour, and is approx 1.5 inches wide and 3 inches long!!

I do have some pictures on my mobile phone of it next to a 50p piece, but cannot find my wires to upload them. As we're just about to eat our tea, I'll try and send them to my husband's mobile afterwards and get some pictures on here. I'm wondering if there's someone we should tell about it as if it's not native, I'm wondering how on earth it's arrived in Crofton, Wakefield! Lol!

All advice welcomed in the meantime! It's not going anywhere, it's curled up on our worktop at the mo (I knnow, my husband has no concept of hygeine!

)

Thank you for any advice available!
Best wishes
Lucy

ron1863 · #2 (**permalink**) 31-07-2008, 08:24 PM

Welcome to WAB. One of our experts will answer your query shortly, sounds like a nice find.

Dogghound · #3 (**permalink**) 31-07-2008, 08:26 PM

Yes do try and upload a picture, we do have some large beetles here in the uk which turn up from time to time. Also its common for foreign specimens to arrive in fruit and veg or timber.

Adam Cheeseman · #4 (**permalink**) 31-07-2008, 08:40 PM

Stag Beetle?

Cheers,

Adam

lucyeff · #5 (**permalink**) 31-07-2008, 09:17 PM

Hi everyone!
Thanks so much for your replies. We're struggling to upload the pics at the mo (lack of sleep cos of 2 toddlers!) from Simon's phone, but we're trying..

In the meantime, I can say that it's a dark brown colour and has lovely gold markings like they've been drawn on with pen! Two markings look like nostrils, the two markings behind it's eyes are oval shaped and there are more gold stripes on it's head attached to the oval shapes. It's back is as if it's been gold leafed, sort of patchy gold. It's eyes are the same colour gold.

Between it's eyes is fairly flat, and in front of that is a square flattish paddle like a short bill on a duck billed platypus. Light brown fur on the inside of it's legs (about 3mms long fur).

Is there anything else which we might be able to mention? We can send the pics across by mobile message if this might help at all as we have managed to get it onto my husband's phone but rather frustratingly can't upload the pics to the pc at all at the mo.

Hope this helps!
Luce

lucyeff · #6 (**permalink**) 31-07-2008, 09:19 PM

Goliath beetle! I've found it on a website, it's a cacicus! I'm about to read up on it now..

All other advice on it welcomed though!
Luce

lucyeff · #7 (**permalink**) 31-07-2008, 10:03 PM

My husband would like to stress that it was dead when he found it...does anyone know how we might be able to keep it for other people to appreciate? How best are they preserved does anyone know?

Lucy