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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Elateriformia » Elateroidea » Click Beetles (Elateridae) » Cebrioninae » Cebrionini » Rain Click Beetles (Scaptolenus)
Photo#255802
Texas Rain Click Beetle - Scaptolenus - male
Copyright © 2009 Brush Freeman

Texas Rain Click Beetle - Scaptolenus - Male
Kenedy Ranch, Kenedy County, Texas, USA
November 19, 2005
"It was flying about during a light rain along with probably several dozen more. The stench it carried was just awful and it stayed on my hand for well over an hour. By the time it wore off I could almost taste the smell. It smelt like a rotten fish that had dried, with a slice of Limburger Cheese placed on it before being sautéed in a stale urine gravy."

Factsheet & Map - Texas Entomology
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Mike Quinn on 28 February, 2009 - 8:04pm

Curious...
why do they stink?
… Tim Loh, 28 February, 2009 - 11:39pm login or register to post comments

 
A query of coleopteran chemical ecology?
A good question for Tom Eisner or better yet, Ed Riley...
The strong odor emanating from the male may well be used to communicate with the female which apparently rarely leaves the soil. Something else that comes to mind is that the strength of the odor may be correlated with their propensity for flying during rain events... Mike
… Mike Quinn, 1 March, 2009 - 11:15am login or register to post comments

 
I'm guessing that the origina
I'm guessing that the original poster may not have enjoyed the scent. The one I photographed smelled like the fresh breath of spring gently caressing dewdrops on climbing prairie rose at mid-morning in May.
… dvoribird, 9 December, 2017 - 4:44pm login or register to post comments

 
oddly different descriptions of such a potent odor
but perhaps that's why Limburger Cheese still sells...
… Mike Quinn, 10 December, 2017 - 10:31am login or register to post comments

 
Hold the cheese, please.
Alas, mine actually offered no scent whatsoever.
… dvoribird, 11 December, 2017 - 7:03am login or register to post comments

 
LOL!
Gee, Mike, I think your description alone just blew my appetite for a week:-) LOL!
… Eric R. Eaton, 1 March, 2009 - 2:49pm login or register to post comments

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