Thanks to movies like “Eight Legged Freaks,” “The Fly,” and even “Beetlejuice,” bugs make many people’s skin crawl, but often the fear is rooted in myth and misunderstanding. We chatted with Chris Hartley, manager of living collections at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Chesterfield, Missouri, about beetles, spiders and other creepy crawlies that dominate the big screen.

The Deathwatch Beetle plays a prominent role in the Practical Magic movies. Is it associated with actual lore?
There is a lot of interesting lore around the Deathwatch Beetle and its relatives, which also make sounds from inside wood. None of it is true, and of course the beetles are not malicious or ominous in reality, but the stories have become common in our culture. The Deathwatch Beetle is native to Europe, so a rich folklore developed throughout the middle ages and into modern times. These stories traveled to America with European settlers, becoming especially well established in New England. The most common lore states that if you hear the sound of the Deathwatch Beetle, it is a sign someone’s death is near. This is the representation in “Practical Magic.” Deathwatch Beetles make a sound like someone rhythmically drumming their fingers on a desk, and they do not make a steady clicking like a clock (though some other wood-boring insects do). Because of this, when people gathered around the bed of someone who was seriously ill, they often took the beetles’ tapping to be the Grim Reaper impatiently tapping his fingers and waiting for the person to die.

How did the Deathwatch Beetle get its name?
Both male and female Deathwatch Beetles live in tunnels they make in old wood.  To find each other inside their tunnels, both males and females will make rapid tapping sounds. They actually drum their heads against the wood to make these sounds! For any person sitting inside a quiet house with wooden walls and rafters, these tapping sounds are quite audible – “tapida tap, tapida tap, tapida tap.” For most of human history, illness and death happened in the home. It is only very recently in our history that we have had large, public hospitals. People would gather around the beds of sick loved ones, and as death drew near, it was very common to keep vigil, or watch, around the bed. During these times of quiet waiting, the tapida-tap of any Deathwatch Beetles in the house would be very clear. The beetle got its name from the association of its sound with the long watches around the beds of sick or dying people.  

Where is the Deathwatch Beetle typically found?
The Deathwatch Beetle is common throughout most of Europe. A few may be found in New England, but we have our own native species in America also. The adult beetles and their larvae live inside wood that is well-aged and has been previously colonized by fungus. Hardwoods, especially oak, are preferred.  Deathwatch beetles may be found in natural areas where dead wood occurs, or in historic buildings made of hardwood. The beetles are usually quite hard to see as they spend most of their time in their tunnels.  

What’s a common misconception associated with the Deathwatch Beetle?
The most common misconception is that they foreshadow death. These beetles do not hasten or cause death in any way, and they really don’t interact with people in any way except for structural damage they may cause in historic buildings. Really, they are just looking for a snack and a date. In that way, they aren’t that different from us. 

Of course, the Deathwatch Beetle isn’t the only beetle we associate with horror and Halloween. “Beetlejuice” remains king of the screen at Halloween. What makes beetles so creepy?
There are more species of beetles than there are of any other living thing. They can be creepy because of their utterly alien shapes or their fantastic size. Some beetles can be crop pests, but none spread diseases to people. Some insects look a lot like beetles and may be easily confused with them. Roaches and some bugs like the “Kissing bug” come to mind. There are many beetles that are almost universally loved.  Ladybugs and fireflies are beetles. Other beetles have a beauty that is really hard to deny. 

What do you wish more people knew about beetles?
Beetles occupy every environment on the planet, except for the ocean. They are pollinators, decomposers, soil-enrichers, predators that control pest bugs, and important links in the food chain for larger animals. The smallest known beetle is a featherwing beetle that measures only .3 mm. The longest beetle is the Titan Longhorn which can measure up to 17 cm (6.7 inches).  

What other insects figure prominently into Halloween imagery?
They are not insects, but spiders are the main “bug” of Halloween. Their ability to make webs (and leave them all over in old houses) really adds to the creepiness factor. Moths are another creature of the night that really inspires images of fall and Halloween. The Death’s Head Hawkmoth has shown up in popular culture (famously in Silence of the Lambs). There is another very large moth called the Black Witch that features in the folklore of Latin America. 

What are your favorite creepy crawlies at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House?
I really like beetles of all kinds, and they are still my favorite. We also keep several species of walking sticks that are fantastic. As the banner above our exhibit hall says: “Don’t be scared, be curious!” 

Ready to bug out?

The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House is part of the Missouri Botanical Garden’s family of attractions. The conservatory is home to more than one thousand tropical butterflies and hosts family classes, programming and events throughout the year (note that it is closed to the public in January).

Throughout the month of October, the attraction transforms into Booterfly House, a celebration of “spooky” bugs and their importance in our world. Guests are invited to take a closer look at spiders, beetles, moths and more. The Booterfly House will host live animal shows every Saturday and Sunday in October at 1 p.m. Visitors can also stop by the plant outpost to learn more about carnivorous plants at 11 a.m. on Sundays in October.

The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House is located at 15050 Faust Park, Chesterfield, MO.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Cover photo by Kristina DeYong, courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden.

Kathryn Deters McDonald is a Missouri native, writer, author and lover of all things spooky, ooky and eerie. Salem, Shmalem. It’s all right here in The Spook-Me State.