Scientific name -- Class: Insecta, Order: Coleoptera, Family: Scarabaeidae
Size -- most about 2" long, but Sekhmet's Scarabs are about 12' long
Diet -- most eat dung. Sekhmet's Scarabs eat buildings.

Scarab beetles are a diverse group of insects that live in South America and Egypt. Egyptians adopted the scarab as sacred, and used it to represent Ra, who rolled the sun across the sky each day. The most famous scarab beetles roll dung into a ball, and then proceed to roll their treasure back to their tunnels.

Egyptians depicted scarabs in a variety of artwork, including amulets and "heart scarabs" which were large pieces hung on the neck or as a pectoral.

"You are my soul which is in my body, the god Khnum who makes my limbs sound. When you go forth to the Hereafter, my name shall not stink to the courtiers who create people on his behalf. Do not tell lies about me in the presence of the Great God!"

-- inscription found on a heart scarab in the Temple of Amun