I do not remember the beetle reference in that one.

There was a God of Evolution on Mono Island, where the biology quickly adapted to the wizardly visitors. Ponder Stibbons was especially impressed by the methodical logic, until he realized the god's main obsession was cockroaches, all "higher" life was incidental.

Surely that's a reference to the biologist mentioned in another comment, who said God had "an inordinate fondness of beetles".

Pratchetts's books are full of that kind of reference.

Cockroaches aren't beetles.

True, my summary was inaccurate, I don't think Pratchett specifically mentioned cockroaches as any of the-insects-in-question.

The god was obsessed with making different beetles.

But then he was talking about the "pinnical" of life and evolution. Ponder thought he meant humans, capable of mastering their world.

Then he looked down and saw the leg twitch...

Self-reply to add quotes, 'cuz Pratchett is worth quoting.

_________

> The little god's hands twitched. 'I don't know, I do try to diversify, but sometimes it's so difficult...'

> Suddenly he ran across the crowded cave towards a huge pair of doors at the far end, and flung them open. 'I'm sorry, but I just have to do one,' said the god. 'They calm me down, you know.' Ponder caught up. The cave beyond the doors was bigger than this one, and brilliantly lit. The air was full of small, bright things, hovering in their millions like beads on invisible strings.

> 'Beetles?' said Ponder.

> There's nothing like a beetle when you're feeling depressed!' said the god. He'd stopped by a large metal desk and was feverishly opening drawers and pulling out boxes. 'Can you pass me that box of antennae? It's just on the shelf there. Oh yes, you can't beat a beetle when you're feeling down. Sometimes I think it's what it's all about, you know.'

> 'What all?' said Ponder.

> The god swept an arm in an expansive gesture. 'Everything,' he said cheerfully. 'The whole thing. Trees, grass, flowers... What did you think it was all for?'

> 'Well, I didn't think it was for beetles,' said Ponder. 'What about, well, what about the elephant, for a start?'

> The god already had a half-finished beetle in one hand. It was green. 'Dung,' he said triumphantly.

_________

> 'Apes? Oh, very amusing, certainly, and obviously the beetles have to have something to entertain them, but . . .' The god looked at him, and a celestial penny seemed to drop. 'Oh dear, you don't think they're the purpose of the whole business, do you?'

> 'I'd rather assumed—'

> 'Dear me, the purpose of the whole business, you see, is in fact to be the whole business. Although,' he sniffed, 'if we can do it all with beetles I shan't complain.'

> 'But surely the purpose of— I mean, wouldn't it be nice if you ended up with some creature that started to think about the universe—?'

> 'Good gravy, I don't want anything poking around!' said the god testily. 'There's enough patches and stitches in it as it is without some clever devil trying to find more, I can assure you. No, the gods on the mainland have got that right at least. Intelligence is like legs – too many and you trip yourself up. Six is about the right number, in my view.'

I'll have to re-read that series again. I have completely written that out of my memory!

* No head, when screwed on to a body, ought to make sound like a cork being pushed into a bottle, but the beetle’s did in the hands of the god.

* And in that moment he knew that, despite the apparent beetle fixation, here was where he’d always wanted to be, at the cutting edge of the envelope in the fast lane of the state of the art.

They meet the god of evolution, he is completely obsessed with beetles.

Came here for that comment.