you know, there are three cats in this apartment

[rmd]

there are three cats in this apartment, plus one in the downstairs apartment and one living right outside.

and yet, i am convinced i juist heard a small skittering noise from somewhere in the apartment. there can't really be a mouse stupid enough to wander in here and stay here, can there?

*pause*

okay, i've moved a couple of pieces of furniture and still no luck finding the noise or narrowing it down.

aaaaand, i've found it. it was *inside* a small cardboard box that had fallen between the computer desk and the bookcase.

also, not a rodent at all. a GIANT HUGE BEETLE. ew. what the fuck is that all about? also, how did this thing end up in the middle of my house? on the back porch, i could understand. but next to my computer desk? dude.


in stalker-cat news, when i had the back door open to toss the beetle out, mooch the stalker cat just sauntered right in like she owned the place and started chowing down on cat food in the kitchen. nikita gave a big old puff-up-and-hiss, but i'm not sure it had the desired level of effect since mooch appears to be deaf as a post. i returned mooch to the outside and domestic tranquility was restored.

Comments

[muffyjo]

I do hope by beetle you don't really mean roach...blech. The "Plantation Bugs" of my youth still haunt my dreams on occasion. Damn things can fly. That's just what the world needs, 3 inch long flying cock roaches.

I suppose the beetle's only security was because it remained in the box.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

nope. roaches are roaches. (and it takes a big roach to make me say "wow! that's a big roach" because my high school had those giant mutant ones that were so big light passed under them)

it's a beetle. pic of it linked from the post.

[muffyjo]

Had to do it, contacted my old prof from college and he sent me this information about your new friend:

his cute little guy is Pelidnota punctata, the grape vine beetle (see
http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/insectid/images/id_full/Grape-Pelidnota.jpg). They're about an inch long, and we have them here, though we're at the northern end of the range. It IS a plant-feeding scarab (Yes! Subfamily
Cetoniinae!), related to the common June beetles that are solid, darker
brown. I even have a picture of one on my wall - a special present from a
special student.

[gayathri.livejournal.com]

i'm afraid to look at it!