Hermit Flower Beetle - (Osmoderma eremicola)

Harmless yet stinky, the Hermit Flower Beetle is quiet, minds its own business and doesn't hurt anything, like some people in a way.

Staff Writer (8/8/2017): Hermit Flower Beetle larvae are large and white grubs that reside inside dead or rotting wood and logs. They don't harm trees; they just take advantage of the space created by dead/dying ones. The species helps break down dead tree tissue, returning nutrients back into the ecosystem. Adults have the ability to emit a noxious odor when frightened. The smell is difficult to describe, but definitely pungent and obvious. Those familiar with tree bark tannery practices have likened it to a type of leather. Adult Hermit Flower Beetles are attracted to lights at night.

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Details of the:
Hermit Flower Beetle

Category: Beetle
Common name: Hermit Flower Beetle
Scientific Name: Osmoderma eremicola

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Coleoptera

Family: Scarabidae

Genus: Osmoderma

Species: eremicola

Size (Adult, Length): 25mm to 30mm (0.98in to 1.18in)

Identifying Colors: black, brown

Additional Descriptors: flying, smelly, stinky, odor, large, dark

North American Reach (Though Not Limited To*): Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming; Alberta; British Columbia; Manitoba; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nova Scotia; Ontario; Prince Edward Island; Quebec; Saskatchewan; Mexico

* Keep in mind that an insect's reach is not limited by lines on a map and therefore may appear in areas/regions/states beyond those listed above.

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