In part because Costa Mesa has been swarming with them lately, but a local news story has provided an answer:
The Calosoma beetles, which experts identify as predacious ground beetles, are not dangerous to humans and pose no threat to vegetation; their large bodies and threatening mandibles, however, have some residents frightened....This summer’s influx is caused by a combination of rainfall and warm temperatures, which increases the number of worms that the beetles eat, he said.“Most people consider them beneficial because they’re eating insects that are considered pests, but some people don’t like them because they’re ugly,” Nisson said.
...
This summer’s influx is caused by a combination of rainfall and warm temperatures, which increases the number of worms that the beetles eat, he said.
“Most people consider them beneficial because they’re eating insects that are considered pests, but some people don’t like them because they’re ugly,” Nisson said.
http://www.dailypilot.com/content/articles/2008/05/29/features/dpt-beetles05242008.jpg
My dad is a beetle fan (and just is interested in insects in general, studied them a lot in high school and enjoyed teaching about them in science classes when he was doing that over the past decade), so I'll have to pass this on to him.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 31 May 2008 17:46 (seventeen years ago)
As J.B.S. Haldane is supposed to have said, "God must have an inordinate fondness for beetles, because He made so many of them." I rather favor scarab beetles, but I take a pass on any beetles which swarm trees and destroy them during their larval stage. I have an inordinate fondness for trees.
― Aimless, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:01 (seventeen years ago)
I MISS THOSE. I didn't see them everyday, but I'd often walk around and encounter this dark dark military tank of a beetle and go "you awesome"
― Mackro Mackro, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:05 (seventeen years ago)
Megasoma Acteon, the bulkiest beetle in the world
http://beetlegate.hyperlink.cz/images/Megasoma_acteon_1.jpg
― Mackro Mackro, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:09 (seventeen years ago)
the Giant Weta, the heaviest insect in the world
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Knights.weta.750pix.jpg
― Mackro Mackro, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:11 (seventeen years ago)
the Titan Beetle (TITANUS GIGANTEUS), the longest beetle in the world
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Titanus.giganteus.jpg
― Mackro Mackro, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:13 (seventeen years ago)
The Goliath beetle (GOLIATHUS REGUS), just another huge ass insect
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Goliath_beetle.jpg
― Mackro Mackro, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:14 (seventeen years ago)
I love me the wetas.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:16 (seventeen years ago)
And of course, the Phasmatodea, the stick insect. These are clearly the most awesome
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Ctenomorpha_chronus02.jpg
― Mackro Mackro, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:16 (seventeen years ago)
Oh BTW, my new favorite site:
What's That Bug
Also a good page on the huge ass insects
― Mackro Mackro, Saturday, 31 May 2008 18:29 (seventeen years ago)
<3 beetles
― Abbott, Saturday, 31 May 2008 21:13 (seventeen years ago)
Back to the original story.
A couple of felled pine trees near Laura Yourex’s Mesa Verde home housed hundreds of the beetles.
“It’s freaking me out. They came over the fence in 20s and 30s. I’m not going out of my house,” Yourex said.
"it's not Orange County I hate, it's Orange County PEOPLE I hate", etc.
― Mackro Mackro, Saturday, 31 May 2008 22:34 (seventeen years ago)
I can't really think of any other part of the U.S. that proactively hates other living things indiscriminately and thinks they are all ugly and gay than OC, CA.
― Mackro Mackro, Saturday, 31 May 2008 22:35 (seventeen years ago)