A homeless man put out a request to help identify an unusual beetle he found on its 'last legs' outside Stretford Mall.
And Manchester Evening News readers responded in their droves with suggestions about the species of the mystery insect, which was named 'Jeffrey the Creature'.
The insect was found by Tony Porter, 26, on Saturday (July 11) after he spent the night sleeping rough in Stretford.
He scooped the beetle up using a bottle.
He went to Greggs for his breakfast and put Jeffrey on the cup's lid.
"It is as big as a Greggs lid, that's how big it is. If I collected beetles I would put it in a picture frame", Tony said.
Sadly, Jeffrey died a short time after Tony came across it.
The M.E.N asked readers to get in contact to help Tony find out what the beetle was.
Opinion was divided, which is no surprise as there are thousands of beetle species in existence.
One person emailed in to say they believed it was a Rose Chafer beetle.
A Rose Chafer has a 'striking, iridescent bodies that shimmer like oil slicks in the sunshine', according to the Woodland Trust website.
Another reader suggested it was a Green June beetle, found in eastern United States and Canada.
A few people said it could be a Rhinoceros Beetle.
While some readers said it was a 'Golden Stag Beetle'.
A beetle enthusiast even emailed in from the U.S. to shed more light on the identity of Jeffrey.
They said: "Although I could only see the flipside of the insect, judging by the size and look, it closely resembles the Mecynorrhina torquata immaculicollis, a type of large flower beetle native to Africa.
"A photo of its elytra(wing casing) will help to identify the exact species.
"Some of the species are popular pets in countries such as Japan and Taiwan. It is not poisonous nor can pose a threat to human. It is exceptionally strong for its size and can even break open plastic lids so I'm guessing this is a lost pet which quickly perished to environmental stress.
"An invasion is of minimal concern. Hope this can shed some lights for Tony and RIP Jeffrey. P.S. they make excellent collections when dried."
Another suggested it could be a 'Shield Bug or Stink Beetle'.
Tony, who found the insect, said that after weighing up the options, he decided it was an African Flower Beetle.
African Flower Beetles have the same distinctive horn and they are of a similar size to Jeffrey.
Tony, who is originally from Liverpool, said: "It's got wings on it. It's the only one like that."
A Twitter user, who studied entomology, said African Flower Beetles are often kept as pets.
Tony confirmed that his brother is looking after Jeffrey while he is out for the day.
He said he has a few further questions for Manchester Evening News readers.
"I want to know if it's meant to be in this country. I wondered, if I came across (another beetle of the same species) again, what to do with it. If I came across another live one. Would I keep it or what", he said on Monday.
He said that if anyone wants to come to see him, he is outside the Aldi store in Sale.
