Bugdom

So, I'm out here in Eastern Washington at a workshop in the boonies, and as we were walking through the grounds, my colleagues and I came upon a big beetle upside-down in the walkway, waving his legs around. I remembered reading that flat surfaces, like sidewalks and paths, are treacherous for bugs like beetles. If they get flipped over on natural, uneven ground, they are capable of wiggling and rocking themselves over using nearby imperfections for leverage (like a driver righting a rolled-over Isetta). But on artificially smooth surfaces, a flipped-over bug not be able to re-orient.

I put a little stick within reach and Buggy grabbed on and I deposited him back in the dirt where he belongs.

Happy ending for whatever the heck this guy is.