"The Bessies" ...

... I affectionally call them, but officially they are called Odontotaenius Disjunctus - or bess beetles.
As I was cleaning up the yard recently, an old tree trunk I was using as a feeder fell apart and a whole family of these came falling out. After my initial screams of terror, and arm flailing I realised they were actually pretty cool - not in the least because they act like drills; that's how they twist and turn their bodies through dead wood.
I covered them up with the trunk remains like you would snuggle a child under the covers, and hoped they'd be safe.

This afternoon my curiosity got the better of me - well, that and the need for something I had never Blipped before - so I paid them a visit. They were unamused. And even though they are slow to run away, I am slower to focus so a dilemma presented itself: do I pick up a Bessie to get a better view/photo?

If the aforementioned 'screams of terror' didn't give it away; I am rather squeamish by nature, and picking up insects is not something I enjoy. And then there's the added fear of squashing them and being a murderer and having to say: "I'm sorry" as a Hail Mary for hours on end

But after careful consideration, and the fact that the Bessies are massive and sturdy-looking, I ... *drumroll* ... did it.
Waaaaaaaaah!
Go me! *pats self on back*

And after a few photos I carefully placed more dead wood on top of them and wished them goodnight.

And then went inside and washed my hands for 37 minutes.


Edit: it seems I was handling a bear in my one-year-ago. Blip's a cycle :)