Lady Jaye was out on the back deck today when she noticed the dogs were playing with something. Thinking it was another baby bird that they’d captured, she called them over. Imagine her horror when they dropped this little monstrosity:

It was still alive, even though half of its back was torn off by our curious pups. The thing’s mandibles opened and closed frantically, looking for any small child it could in order to regenerate, or perhaps relink itself to the demon realm. Or maybe it was just scared. I sure as hell was.

“Get that fucking thing away from me,” I said, muting my conference call. I swear I could ride this thing.

I took Inara out to get her oil changed during the lunch hour. I received this ominous text message: “found another specimen.” Attached was another beetle, dead, on its back. Like a good biologist, Lady Jaye put it in a tupperware container. A tupperware container that must now be cleansed by fire, but that’s another issue. She kindly left a note that read, “DON’T WORRY, IT’S DEAD!” She knows me well ;)

I sent out the APB to Ars, trying to get a positive identification on what we were dealing with. So far no one has come forth with anything definitive. Guesses have included a cicada, a mutant overlord, a stag beetle, and an ancient one who shall not be named.

In the meantime, I took some more snaps of the beastie: