As far as bugs go, beetles are pretty cool, so it's no surprise that a recent viral catchphrase based on the animal has been spreading online since 2023.

The phrase, "Whatever. Go my scarab," has been inspiring memes for months, with many utilizing an old YouTube clip of a man filming his beetle flying through the sky.

But where did the meme start, how are people using it and what does it even mean? Here's what we know.

What Is The 'Whatever. Go My Scarab' Meme?

In December 2023, X / Twitter user @eijisboyfriend posted a low-res video of a Japanese rhino beetle flying in the air, then turning and flying towards the camera.

The clip comes from a 2013 video by YouTuber Will McGugan with roughly a million views. The X user spices the post up by writing, "Whatever. Go my scarab," a phrase you might say if you were ordering the beetle to do your bidding.

The post gained a few hundred likes over the next few months and also started to inspire additional memes in 2024. Something about the phrase struck a chord with memers, sparking a trend that's still growing today on sites like X, Tumblr and Tenor.

whatever. Go my scarab pic.twitter.com/jhtFf5EpYg

— jem-o'-lantern 🎃 (@eijisboyfriend) December 10, 2023

How Is 'Whatever. Go My Scarab' Used In Memes?

As a meme, the catchphrase "Whatever. Go, my scarab," has become the subject of a variety of memes. Oftentimes it's combined with the same rhino beetle clip, or edits of the rhino beetle clip, in which an image of a character from a given fandom has been edited over the beetle. These memes are usually GIFs, which are often posted to Tenor.

Beyond the beetle clip, the phrase itself is often used on its own next to unrelated or vaguely referential artwork.

For example, a September 2024 piece of Zelda fan art shows Link letting a beetle fly from his hand while saying the line. Another imagines a Guilty Gear character as a scarab missile, putting an unexpected twist on the phrase.

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For the full history of the whatever, go my scarab meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.