Well, look who decided to show up!
The photo is a lousy one. It took me quite a while to identify him. All of my field guides were unable to help. I resorted to Google Lens. I uploaded the photo into the program and it directed me to a Canadian website which indicated that the beetle in question was from Europe. Notice its range:
I did find it odd that few, if any, sightings were in North America. Then I downloaded the American app called iNaturalist and it returned the same results! Black Oil Beetle. No matter how you slice it, this is a unique insect that was out of its element in February. The beetle has been released and I am on to other matters, like a one-eyed house finch currently roosting on my bedroom door.
Cosmicknitter 
I can’t believe you brought that beetle in your house! I have the creeps just seeing a photo. Now you have a bird in your bedroom. Way too much nature in your house:) I’ll stick with my spiders and the very occasional mouse.
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You crack me up. Yes, the bird…what to do about the bird.
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Ouch! That is one ugly beetle. I’m scared of insects so would not have taken the time to read up on the beast! You’re more courageous than me:)
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I love it. My nickname as a child was Bugs 🐛
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Glad the beetle turned up and you identified him! He seems pretty well outside his range – wonder how he got there? Oh my goodness – hope the bird is OK!
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Thankfully both have been reaclimated to great outdoors!
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Oh good!
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I’m with Karen on the beetle. I hope you can gently guide the finch out the door!
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Both the beetle and the finch have flown the coop!
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You are an ace naturalist Regina! Crazy that the beetle was so far from home!
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Do not like bugs but since you seem pretty cool I made myself read this post – ha!
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That is a very nice compliment!
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I wonder how he hitched a ride to the states? ⛵🚁🚀🛩️
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I contacted an entomologist and was informed that there is an American variety. While they can be active year round, they tend to appear in the spring. So, mystery solved.
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That’s a relief, I was worried he might have been homesick 😄
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Ha! Very funny. No one has shown this fella any love! Apparently, he has the ability to squirt a caustic oil if handled too roughly. I was very ginger with him and he didn’t spray me. That would have really sucked!
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Happy endings to your stories, thank goodness. The American Oil Beetle? Surely that would be blue and red? (Colours of Amoco before it merged with BP!!!)
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Yes! Better than BP colors of neon green and yellow!
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Kudos on managing to identify the beetle – it must have been so exciting to discover the details that you did!
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I ate beetles🤢
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You ate or *hate beetles. There’s a big difference here, Ortensia.
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Lol, here I’m the queen of typo….I meant hate but maybe my subconscious is suggesting something else🙄
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I got such a giggle!
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🪳🪳🪳🪳🪳😂😂😂
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And no pic of this one eyed oddity??
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I posted a few videos on my Instagram. I’ll be sure to include one in my next blog post.
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Regina that is your good deed for Mother Nature done…. Lets hope he/she finds a mate and Spring is Sprung!! …. ❤
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I hope for that, too, however most of the readers aren’t as fond of insects as me!
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when you get up close to as many as I do while in the allotment… lol… today a helped a spider whom I half buried as I was hoeing, and a ladybug which had turned on its back I turned back over..
My reward was to see a Peacock Butterfly sat still on a piece of grass…. I went to get my phone to take a picture when it saw my shadow and flew off…
Its so very early for them to out… If it turns colder they will need help…
Any way… we do our bit…. even if some creepy crawlies do give me the shudders… I cannot stand the Chafer Beetle Larva….. a Huge Grub that lives underground in the soil that eats the roots of grass… It emerges to a copy winged beetle that looks nice… But its lava is horrid.. Look up chafer grubs on Google Images lol and you will see what I mean. LOL….
Have a great week Regina.. ❤
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Just looked up chafer grub. Ew. The thing about grubs is that they are so smooshy and yucky! (both very scientific terms)
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🙂 lol….. yes turned up several more today on the plot too
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