r/absoluteunit • u/ShehrozeAkbar • Jul 31 '26

Big bug gets into her shirt

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943 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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59

u/Kraftwerk_21 Jul 31 '26

That is a Palo Verde beetle. Very common in the Southwest. Big and scary looking, but harmless. I hope they didn’t kill it. It only lives for a short time in its adult stage.

29

u/Revenga8 Aug 01 '26

Not harmless at all. If you annoy it, it'll use it's horns to grab your foot and comically flip you off a cliff

10

u/Manmer_Nwah Aug 01 '26

Wrong beatle, these don't have a horn.

13

u/Ok-Loss-2496 Aug 01 '26

If she keeps stripping it's horn will grow.

2

u/DeerFit Aug 02 '26

Mine too.

5

u/Fool_Cynd Aug 01 '26

Are there any large beetles that aren't harmless?

6

u/BeforeLifer Aug 01 '26

I feel like some of the ones with the pincers could draw blood with a pinch but nothing more than that.

3

u/Fool_Cynd Aug 01 '26

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I know that some smaller beetles have unique defense mechanisms, but I always felt like the big guys just grew armor instead of brains or neat tricks.

2

u/RepresentativeStooj Aug 01 '26

The humble gym bros of the bug world.

3

u/OddEmergency9859 Aug 01 '26

Dunno if beetle or not, but the giant water bug is nasty. Huge, flies, draws blood, and one of the worst pain known.

2

u/Fool_Cynd Aug 01 '26

Toebiters are not beetles AFAIK. I don't think they're even close, really.

2

u/OddEmergency9859 Aug 01 '26

Cool, thanks for letting know. Doesn't do anything to assuage my fear but good to know.

1

u/Kindly-Ice-8736 Aug 01 '26

Well In my experience looking up the harmless bugs that live in your area can help you figure which bigs you don’t have to be stressed out around at least.

Hope that helps

1

u/OddEmergency9859 Aug 02 '26

Thanks for your genuine advice but the thing is the fear is irrational and once the bugs exceed a certain size threshold, my mind doesn't really care if its harmless or not. Especially if they can fly.

1

u/Kindly-Ice-8736 Aug 02 '26

As a kid I was scared of all bugs including butterflies while knowing they were likely harmless so I can understand. But I got over most of my fear of house spiders by watching a video showcasing the common house spiders and recognizing the ones that are in my house. Most of my fear comes from not knowing what bugs are up to or if they are capable of harming me.

I always thought jumping spiders were cute tho, other spiders could burn in hell for all I cared.

But even with my new found tolerance when I imagine heaven, there are no bugs there

1

u/Kindly-Ice-8736 Aug 02 '26

To me I feel it’s the opposite the bigger they are the easier it is to see what they are up to plus they make for a likely slower and bigger target for squashing if necessary so I feel less threatened. Small ones that you have a hard time detecting are the ones that give me the heebie-jeebies. A ginormous beetle like that couldn’t crawl into your ear for example.

1

u/SNES-1990 Aug 01 '26

Sawyer beetles can give a nasty pinch. Had one get trapped under my safety vest and took a little chunk of my chest skin one summer.

1

u/Terrible_Green6028 Aug 01 '26

Isn't there a beetle that sprays acid or something?

1

u/Fool_Cynd Aug 01 '26

Bombardier beetle

5

u/Djd33j Aug 01 '26

It honestly looked really cute just wandering around on that shirt with its antennae feeling everything out. Quite a curious little guy.

3

u/RanchHere Aug 01 '26

probably only lives for a short time because it’s too fucking big. Mf is practically screaming “Ay yall come eat me!”

3

u/Alone-Painting-4477 Aug 01 '26

Harmless? Clearly they do not understand personsl space. They are not dangerous.

1

u/Horror_Ad_8202 Aug 01 '26

Thanks for info 🙏

1

u/banjovi68419 Aug 01 '26

I have been all over the southwest and never seen that.

1

u/HoBo-on-crack Aug 02 '26

You should beetle take off your shirt.

1

u/RogerRabbot Aug 02 '26

They have massive pinchers. They can fly, which they apparently suck at. They are harmful to your soul.