Beetle love

November 10, 2007 10:13 AM

"As with any healthy relationship, the first thing the young couple must do is hide the body." Ran across the most entertaining description of a rather common beetle today. Enjoy!
posted by TeatimeGrommit (19 comments total)

Sounds like one could make a beetle film noir with them as the stars. Funny and informative, thanks.
posted by Bookhouse at 10:24 AM on November 10, 2007

Metafilter: The male will continue signaling to attract females, at which point the female on the scene will physically interfere, by pushing him over, jumping on top of him, and pinching him with her jaws.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 10:24 AM on November 10, 2007

Oh, you need a corpse to see these things? I'll run down to Taco Hell, back in a jiff....
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:29 AM on November 10, 2007

If more than one beetle finds a corpse, the males will fight amongst themselves, and the females will do likewise, until all but the strongest of each gender have been driven off, and the winners of each gender will mate.

* eyes mist up, goes to find high school yearbook *
posted by PlusDistance at 11:16 AM on November 10, 2007 [3 favorites]

If you think that's 'interesting', check out the next day's entry, when they flip over the beetle.
posted by wendell at 11:17 AM on November 10, 2007

If only Gregor Samsa could have known what was waiting for him Out There. That whole ending could have been so much happier!
posted by jfuller at 11:50 AM on November 10, 2007

Creepy. My boyfriend will love this.
posted by inconsequentialist at 11:51 AM on November 10, 2007

Paging scarabic.
posted by hangashore at 11:58 AM on November 10, 2007

When a male attracts her, she checks out the male, inspects the corpse by patting it with her forelegs and antennae, and she even inspects the ground to see if it is suitable for digging. Then, and only then, does she choose to ovulate...

Smart girl!
posted by amyms at 12:06 PM on November 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

I've been reading this blog all morning now. Thanks for the post!
posted by oneirodynia at 12:31 PM on November 10, 2007

Good god, I've been such a fool! You're supposed to HIDE THE BODY!

No wonder the second date went so badly.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:32 PM on November 10, 2007

bugs are so delightfully kinky...
posted by sexyrobot at 1:30 PM on November 10, 2007

From the University of Nebraska, the Carrion Beetle Video Gallery [WMV files].

The most amazing video is a time lapse showing a female Nicrophorus* beetle moving a dead mouse from a board into dirt for burial. The most unnerving: symbiotic mites trying to bum a beetle ride to their next meal.

*More at Nicrophorus Central.
posted by cenoxo at 1:58 PM on November 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

Along the same lines is: http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Tatianas-Sex-Advice-All-Creation/dp/0099283751


(does anyone know why firefox broke my ability to post links in form fields?)
posted by thebrokedown at 2:27 PM on November 10, 2007

good post
posted by francesca too at 2:59 PM on November 10, 2007

funny and informative! thanks for the post.
posted by alon at 3:07 PM on November 10, 2007

From wendell's link.

This has to be one of my all-time favorite pictures from this site now, because when I first flipped that beetle over I went “Uaaahhhhh! GROSS!”… and then when I found out what was going on, I cried, “HOW FREAKING COOL IS THAT?!?”

The enthusiasm of the blogger is delightful. Thanks for the interesting post.
posted by nickyskye at 4:02 PM on November 10, 2007

if there were a site that is the exact opposite of Cute Overload, that is it.
posted by empath at 8:08 PM on November 10, 2007

empath: There already is an opposite to Cute Overload.
posted by parudox at 10:32 PM on November 10, 2007