10/10/2021: The false prophet of Dynastes grantii

Kim Wismann has been a wonderful friend and mentor, especially with his 30 years of experience living in Arizona and finding all the best spots for every living thing therein. Kim was able to give me some consultation on William and I’s September trip, as this was the latest we had ever planned to visit the southwest. In short, Kim had suggested Dynastes grantii could be abundant in northern Arizona, in the Payson area, as their season was beginning to peak there. I had inquired about the possibility of finding grantii further south where William and I would be spending more of our time… Kim believed grantii would be out of season there.

Will and I spent some time around Payson, driving out of the mountains in the evening to check the lights around the various cities like madmen. Our searching turned up some Xyloryctes… and the half-eaten head of male grantii. Not quite the promised land we had expected.

Days later in southeastern Arizona, Will and I returned to our campsite late one night after an unproductive evening out in the desert to find something… rather large slapped onto our sheet. We were both elated to find a lovely large lady Dynastes grantii sitting quite contently among the seemingly billions of moths cluttering the sheet.

I have since regaled Kim with this and imbued him with the perhaps unwarranted new title of “false prophet”.

The female grantii has since been transferred to Alan Jeon for better keeping, though not before leaving me with a few ovoid presents…

-Kyle