Saturday, September 18, 2010

On its last legs…

The other morning I found a very big beetle upside down on the floor of the post office, and so I picked it up. During the 15 years that I was the janitor at the post office, I routinely rescued insects that had gotten trapped in the lobby overnight; usually praying mantis, walking sticks, and katydids.

At first I thought this beetle was dead, but it moved a bit, so I brought it home.



It was obviously in the process of dying, but it was still struggling.



Only part of its body seemed to be working.




I put it on the ground, and a few hours later when I looked for it, it was once again upside down, and very dead. Richard does not approve of me killing live insects just so I can add them to my collection of dead ones, so I must wait until nature takes its course.

It has joined the other items in the kitchen windowsill. I started to take a picture of it sitting there on my antique spice can, but the sill is such a dusty, cobwebby mess that I am embarrassed to take a picture of it.
 
I suppose it is time to do some “Fall cleaning.” Rather ironic, I think,  that the person who used to clean houses and local businesses for a living has such a messy one.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I read your blog frequently. I didn't know you had a bug collection. :-) Fun! Karen

Paula said...

This made me laugh as our little neighbor boy pointed out a cobweb in our kitchen recently. John explained to him that I don't let him kill spiders except black widows of course.

Lo said...

I have a gorgeous, irridescent green backed beetle in a clear plastic bug box in my sun room......I love beetles and often try to save them as you did.......never have succeeded.

Haddock said...

A good and kind act.....and good photographs too.

Oklahoma Granny said...

I just commented to my husband a day or so ago that we've had more cobwebs this year than I've seen in a long time.

Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

Yes. I have a bug collection. Well, I HAD a bug collection but I gave most of it away to my nieces when they were growing up for show and tell.

Kale K. said...

Do you know what type of beetle it is? I just caught one flying around in my house and I'm dying of curiosity to know.