Easy Toilet Paper Japanese Beetle Craft

In Japan, the the Japanese rhinoceros beetle "Kabuto mushi" and Stag Beetle "kuwagata mushi " are famous and popular among children. They are highly sought after and prized by school aged bug hunters. Large ones can be bought in pet shops for $20-30 a piece. This is a fun craft to do for a nature or bug unit. There are two designs, the black one with the "T" is the rhinoceros beetle, the brown one with the scissors shape is the stag beetle.

Materials:

toilet paper roll cut in two lengthwise

brown or black construction paper

6 rectangles for legs, aprox. 2 1/4 inches(6 cm) long, 1/2 inch (1 1/2 cm) wide.

"T" (horn) or scissors (jaws) cut-out

2 small white circles for eyes

glue

black marker

Directions:

1. Beforehand cut the toilet paper rolls lengthwise and cover the outer side with brown or black construction paper.
2. You may want to cut all the other pieces beforehand as well. The legs and eyes might be difficult for younger children.
3. Glue the eyes on the front.
4. Glue the legs on the back, 3 on each side.
5. Glue the horn or jaws on the back side on top of the head.
6. Use a black marker to draw in the eyes and a mouth if you like.

In addition to regular dot eyes, you can draw curved lines for smiling eyes, or a sideways "v" with a third line in the middle for a winking eye.

You can play a "Sumo" game with your beetles. Draw a circle on a box top. Stand two beetles up in the circle. Tap he box gently like a drum and wach the beetles jump and fight. The first one to fall down loses.



Japanese rhinoceros beetle or "kabuto mushi"

stag beetle or "kuwagata mushi"