Eastern Hercules Beetle

Dynastes tityus, the eastern Hercules beetle, is a species of rhinoceros beetle native to the eastern United States. It is the largest beetle found in this part of the world.

Like its namesake, the Hercules beetle is a crazy strong critter. Battles between the males consist of challenging each other with a series of squeaking sounds. This may be followed by a tussle and dueling with their horns.

The winner usually gets the lady and the loser retreats, sometimes with more than his pride wounded.

This work is on 300gsm cotton pressed paper, currently set in an external frame and ready to hang or stand. It can easily be reframed to your liking. Its fine detail makes for an interesting piece that invites you to come in for a closer look.

Follow

Frieda-Marié de Jager is a South African artist and writer living in north Melbourne. She's enjoyed painting her whole life, since the first self-portrait on the wall at 18 months, and is specifically in love with painting weird and wonderful creatures.

Frieda has a formal education in fine art and holds a technical degree in jewellery design and manufacturing. She worked in South Africa's world-renowned diamond industry before her career veered into marketing, content writing, and graphic design.

Since the birth of her son, an avid young scientist, learning about nature's most intriguing critters has been an everyday adventure. She uses her son's curiosity as inspiration for choosing her subject matter and, in many ways, each new work becomes an adventure in science and art.