Ox Beetle: Joselito el Cinco

I happened upon a little --well not so little in the bug world, I suppose-- ox bettle while we made our last stop of the trip at Lake Annie. Some would say it was love at first sight. Well, maybe love for me; indifference, or perhaps even fear (from the giant hominid looming over head), for my little beetle friend. Not long after, I noticed that he walked with a bit of a limp. He was not using his front left leg for whatever reason.

He was promptly given a suitable name: Joselito el Cinco.

I managed to sneak him home to Yale in a little test tube. TSA nor x-rays managed to stop the little bugger.

Ox beetles (Strategus aloeus) are a species of rhinoceros beetle native to the United States, Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. The males can occur in two different morphs: major and minor. While minors look rather similar to females, majors have three large horns extending from their thorax which they use for territory defense.

Look at them horns!

 The beetles are popular pets as they require minimal care and are easy to handle. While the larvae feed on the roots of plants, adults eat just about anything from rotting wood and leaves in the wild to apples and bananas in captivity.

In addition to territory defense, ox beetles also use their horns as an effective digging tools. The beetles often dig burrows--some extending up to several feet into the substrate-- that they reside in while not foraging or searching for mates.

I took in much of what I learned to construct a proper home for Joselito. I snatched an unused plastic storage box in my suite. I then proceeded to fill it with dirt from Old Campus using a dust pan-- a sight that surely won me cool points with the freshmen.

I quickly brought the enclosure back up to my room and placed Joselito in it. After observing him for a while I decided to lean in and take a closer look. I quickly noticed an odd smell.

Wait a second....it's manure!

I had unknowingly filled the box with manure and brought it up to my room like some excrement feind! I ran downstairs and emptied the box before proceeding to find actual dirt. After subjecting myself to another round of the dirt collecting spectacle--because after all why not double the amount of people who watch you with a degree of awe as you frantically shovel dirt using a household cleaning supply-- I completed the encolure with some banana slices and a little cardboard shelter.

Joselito now spends his days lounging in his new home. He has already made several burrows, much to my excitement.

A bit hard to see, but there are several burrow entrances in the substrate already.
(highlighted)

Watch him dig:

Joselito!!!