I took this photo at the end of the June, 2011, 90+ hottest day on record here in Minnesota day! This was the sight inside of one of my back yard bird-baths.
The least I could do was to process the case!
After-all...MY backyard was the scene of the crime!
Two Dead. Deaths look moderately suspicious! Water temp - 89 degrees! Possible heat-stroke accident.
Here's what I think went down...
I think the black beetle was hot. He probably dived into the water thinking he could cool down. He had no way of knowing that the water was boiling at this point! Massive heart failure upon impact!
The reddish-brown June bug probably saw the black beetle and came to help! Looks like he dove in too but sadly, in this case, the resilient crusty shell June bugs have proved to be like a rock and pulled that June bug right down! If you look at the photo, it appears that the June bug's head stayed down towards the bottom.
I also noted that there was a third, small and green, insect of some kind that was also floating in the debris filled water. Can't say for sure if the green bug knew either of the other victims.
You gotta admit, the inordinately expensive orange flower bauble at the bottom of this birdbath is quite impressive right? The birds in my yard are treated WELL!
When I drained out the birdbath, I didn't have it in me to perform autopsies on the dead bugs.
The remains were never identified by relatives or friends. Since nobody stepped up to identify these bugs, I thought I ought to immortalize them.
You can support your local beetles and June bugs by showing this story to any of them you come into contact with! Let them know that they should always test the water in a bird bath before diving in!
No comments:
Post a Comment