The beetle that is not a car
By Alex Socorro
@Alexandoy (65308)
Cainta, Philippines
April 22, 2020 9:45pm CST
I found the beetle in the picture on our porch this morning. It was not moving so I thought it was dead. But when I touched it, there was movement that later on it walked. This beetle eats the young leaves of the coconut tree. When a tree is attacked by several beetles, the tree can die.
12 people like this
13 responses
@Mamerto32 (2783)
• Canlubang, Philippines
23 Apr 20
I remember once, when we worked in an electronics company in Laguna. We got a vast grassland near the production plant and more than once we got some exotic and colorful visitors, like large dragonflies and butterflies. Then one day, a large beetle came buzzing in the office. It's big (as long as my finger), black and sports two horns. It's a beautiful little creature and we let it crawl on our keyboards for a couple of days. The beetle then left, back to its grassland.
2 people like this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
With the 2 horns, that is a voracious eater of young coconut leaves.
1 person likes this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
@Mamerto32 you have to be careful in handling insects. They might have a venom like the scorpion.
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@Mamerto32 (2783)
• Canlubang, Philippines
23 Apr 20
@Alexandoy yes, it's a coconut tree pest. And it actually got me when I held it. Its horns clamped on my fingers, and it feels like pliers.
1 person likes this
@Butterfingers (66585)
• India
23 Apr 20
Was not aware of it. Thanks for enlightening
2 people like this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
If you care to know, that beetle is all black and the finger in the picture is mine. Waheehee.
2 people like this
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
23 Apr 20
This isn't the beetle that sang 'Hey Jude'.
1 person likes this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
Ah, no, this beetles sings Waheehey Jude.
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@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
23 Apr 20
It's a rhino or rhinoceros beetle, it's a major coconut pest! We use to play with that when as a boy we vacationed to a province in the Southern Philippines. People play and bet on them by putting sticks on the wings and making them lock, first to turn upside down loses, similar to how people turn salagubang ( june beetles) into a betting game but these are larger and much stronger
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@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
23 Apr 20
@Alexandoy people stick bubble gum to backs of 2 june beetle lying down, who ever lifts the other wins. The rhino game is more sophisticated with wings clipped on bamboo strips , its like " pasungay" ( locking horns), first to turn upside down loses. I also know gagamba or spider fights. I think the rhino beetle fights are in the Visayas where there are plenty and they are considered a major coconut pest.q
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@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
@louievill yes, it is a coconut pest. My uncle taught me how to control those beetles from damaging the coconuts. Put sand in between the leaf and the tree. The beetles will be discouraged by the sand.
1 person likes this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
I didn't know that there is a game for beetles. All I remember is the spider on the stick. Some people even use the spiders for gambling.
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@anamika161088 (11868)
• India
23 Apr 20
I am scare of these tiny creatures. I would have never touched it
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@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
Women are naturally scared of such insects and it is good to refrain from touching it.
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@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
@anamika161088 it is not harmful because that beetle is already familiar to me.
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@anamika161088 (11868)
• India
23 Apr 20
@Alexandoy You never know if these tiny creatures harmful to you
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@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
My wife said no so I let it go, waheehee.
2 people like this
@Letranknight2015 (51536)
• Philippines
23 Apr 20
That's a cute bettle right there.
1 person likes this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
I planned to keep it but my wife said no. Waheehee.
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
For me, not really agree but scary. When I was young, I use that kind of beetle to scare my female classmates, waheehee.
1 person likes this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
That's interesting. It's like trying to get free with the sound it creates.
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@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
23 Apr 20
That's a bad looking boy!
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@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
It looks like a bully to me, waheehee.
1 person likes this
@Behindtheguitarbar (2831)
• Guangdong, China
23 Apr 20
!!I have watched a beetle taking a somersault before! haha, they were really good at doing this without being tired of it. Oh, of course, I did make it lie back on purpose.
1 person likes this
@Behindtheguitarbar (2831)
• Guangdong, China
23 Apr 20
@Alexandoy it's very interesting.
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@freelancermariagrace (27219)
• Philippines
23 Apr 20
Not scared of this beetle.
1 person likes this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
23 Apr 20
It used to be our toy when I was a boy.
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@Nakitakona (56302)
• Philippines
23 Apr 20
It's not a beetle. It has a name. Do you know its name? Don't ask me back for I don't know neither.
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