Top Photo: Female rhinoceros beetle.

Yesterday, I found a rhinoceros beetle in Into the Mist. The last time I came upon one of these scarab beetles with a horn on its head was in 2012, towards the end of August. The earliest I’ve come across one was July, the latest, October.

This particular rhino beetle seemed to be in trouble. It kept walking in tight circles. Rhino beetles are not speedsters by any means but the circular track seemed to indicate an injury. It certainly could have sustained an injury given the location, it was on a slate walkway in Into the Mist, a very heavily traveled area on hot summer days.

I moved the beetle to a more quiet location with hopes of its recovery.