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From: dms@ihlpg.UUCP (Spang)
Newsgroups: net.garden
Subject: Re: HUGE black beetle
Message-ID: <1924@ihlpg.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-May-86 14:01:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpg.1924
Posted: Fri May 16 14:01:57 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 19-May-86 02:39:41 EDT
References: <691@wjvax> <2584@decwrl>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 24

> 
> > I saw this huge black beetle......  It was about 2 inches by 1-1/2
> > with a black shiny shell.
> 
> The other day I bought some sacks of manure and, as I was spreading it
> in my garden, one of these monsters ambled away from the vicinity of
> the sacks and started across the driveway.  As I was swooning away
> into a dead faint (not in the direction of the manure), a hero bluejay
> swooped down, and, with some work, had the monster for lunch.  Long
> live the birdies.  The monster wasn't a Japanese beetle;  I believe it
> was a relative of Godzilla, myself.



I grew up in the rural Illinois in the middle of the soybean fields.
These pincher beetles were really common. As we played in our front
yard we could look up thte street a *block* and see one of the monsters
heading for us. We immediately retreated to the safety of the house.
It seems that they particularly enjoyed our neighbors tobacco crop.
Since I've moved to the 'burbs I have not seen a one except on a return
visit to Dixon. I find that June bugs give me the same feeling of dread as
those black horrors.

Debbie Spang