These tank-like beetles are hard to miss, but it’s unlikely you will ever see the chunky C-shaped grubs, who develop in rotting wood of dead or dying hardwoods. During the day adults feed on sap flows, while at night they visit lights. If captured, they produce a signature scent. According to Eric R. Eaton and Kenn Kaufman, “When handled, they [genus Osmoderma] reportedly emit the odor of Russian leather, whatever that is.” This species ranges from Southern Alberta to northwestern Ontario in Canada and Montana to central Minnesota south to Oklahoma and Arkansas in the US.
Size: Inch-plus in length
Photos by: Valerie Kamps on 8/17/22 in Great Falls, MT
