Flying Beetles!

[smudge]

I could hear this weird banging noise in the garage last night, then saw this massive flying black beetle which scared me half to death! It then crashed into the flourescent light & knocked itself out. My dear husband picked it up & put it outside.

Has anyone else found these inside their homes, garages or sheds?

[shaz-rla]

Yuk, I don't like beetles! We have things that are called * * * * shaeffer beetles that fly down our chimney and look like furry roaches!  Only happens for a week usually July.  First time I saw them I ran out of the room screaming and left 2 very small children in with them!  Let us know if you find out what they are smudge.

[shaz-rla]

I thought cos I spaced out the first word that it would be allowed! It is slang for a mans private bits!

[SuperPigeon]

Could be a species of Cockchafer.

[SuperPigeon]

Ooo, just another point. Did the antenna bits look like the ends of mops or were you too busy running away to notice. I wouldn't be able to notice. How big was it anyway?

[shaz-rla]

Superpigeon, how could you type that word and not get it blanked out?

[Champagne]

Smudge, was it a rain beetle?

http://www.garrapatacreek.org/rainbeetle.htm

Or maybe a may beetle? (aka. Junebug)
I've encountered these twice. The 2nd time only recently. They're HUGE and make a really loud buzzing noise and whenever you spot it it always seems to be flying straight at you. And they're so big they seem to be flying in slow motion. Just this big, ugly, humming, scary beetle coming straight at your heed...  EEK!!

[shaz-rla]

champagne, may/june/july bugs, blind bees etc, I thought they were all the same as a ************ beetle? could be wrong though!  They are very loud and quite stupid, when they clatter down the chimney they usually make straight for the window and they only come out here at dusk!  Then when it is dark they seem to fall asleep and look dead until the next dusk ... horrible things!

[smudge]

This very scary beetle was approx 13mm long, almost hemispherical, glossy black back, with an iridescent bluey tinge to the underside.

The reason I'm so terrified of beetles is because when my Grandad was dying, he kept trying to brush these 'imaginery' black beetles off his bed, bless him. Also, when my friend's little sister died, we went to visit her grave with all the newly laid wreaths on & as we stood there, we noticed massive black beetles crawling over them - we ran a mile! (Cremation for me)!

[WendyS]

Sounds as if it might have been a Stag Beetle.  They're spectacular creatures and becoming rarer with the constant use of pesticides.  You're lucky to have seen one.   Actually most of these flying creatures are pretty harmless and look more terrifying than they actually are.

[smudge]

Thank you Wendy - I shall look up Stag Beetle images on Google & see if it was that.

[smudge]

Thank you all for your answers, much appreciated.

[Narolines]

13mm long is a pretty small beetle, if you ask me - a stag beetle would be nearer 30-50mm, depending on its gender.  Description sounds about right for a female stag beetle otherwise, though.  The male's "antlers" would be pretty obvious - unless you were too terrified to notice!

[smudge]

Thank you Narolines - I'm still intrigued as to what species it was. 

I didn't go anywhere near it once it fell to the floor, but my husband gave me the dimensions & colouring, etc.

[SuperPigeon]

I dont know why it didn't blank me!?!

Also, why am I green?

[smudge]

Hi SuperPigeon, so sorry I didn't reply to you personally, but I did say 'thank you all for your answers', but thank you again.

Also, I can only assume you are 'green' because you are new, or that you've changed your username? If you e-mail the AB Ed, I'm sure he/she will explain the reason to you. Ta ta for now. 

[smudge]

Oh & yes I was too busy running away from the beetle! My husband said the legs on it were fern like, but not so sure about the antenna bits.

[BECKIJP2004]

i was going into the kitchen at home and i had my back door open and a massive black beetle flew in and hit the door my brother was there at the time when i told him he came and moved it then started to laugh at me and said beetles cant fly ha yeah obviously he knows nothing