Anyone able to ID this Beetle?

[neoncacti]

I have finally been able to find a living specimen of this beetle. It is about 3cm long and has metallic colors that interchange between green, blue and purple. Any info is greatly appreciated!
EDIT: Found amongst rotting wood, or underneath logs in an Oak forest in Europe.

 

[pannaking22]

Some sort of tenebrionid. I'm not all that familiar with European species though.

 

[Patherophis]

It is Helops sp.. Two species, H. rossii and H. caeruleus, come to consideration, but their differences are subtle so it is not possible to reliably identify them by photo.

 

[neoncacti]

It is Helops sp.. Two species, H. rossii and H. caeruleus, come to consideration, but their differences are subtle so it is not possible to reliably identify them by photo.

Awesome! Seems to be the right species, so being a type of darkling beetle I'm assuming I won't have problems with it eating my other critters? Rotting wood, mulch, leaves etc should be okay as food right?
Also is there any way of sexing it? Cause I always end up finding the husks(probably eaten by scorpions) and it is hard to find any living ones. Thus far all female arachnids I've found were already pregnant, so I'm hoping the same happens with the beetle.

 

[Patherophis]

I'm assuming I won't have problems with it eating my other critters?

Sorry I don't quite uderstand this part, do You want to keep them together with other animals ?

Rotting wood, mulch, leaves etc should be okay as food right?

Should be, but problem can be that this beetles and their larvae are dependent on hyphae of wood-decaying fungi.

Also is there any way of sexing it?

Unfortunately, literature I have access to, doesn't mention any visible sexual dimorfism for this genus.

Thus far all female arachnids I've found were already pregnant, so I'm hoping the same happens with the beetle.

Good luck

 

[neoncacti]

Yeah, I'll be keeping it with some millipedes and other beetles. But considering it's a darkling it'll be fine. Sadly too different for it to mate with my other darklings.

I see.. well I did take quite a bit of the wood from the forest, so maybe there's a chance some of it was picked up with it and it spreads.

Thanks! And thanks for all the help

 

[Dovey]

I doubt it was eaten by scorpions. Here in Arizona, I keep darkling beetles with everything from bark scorpions up to a big Arizona desert hairy scorpion, and I've never lost a beetle to a scorpion. Their shells are very effective armor.

 

[neoncacti]

I doubt it was eaten by scorpions. Here in Arizona, I keep darkling beetles with everything from bark scorpions up to a big Arizona desert hairy scorpion, and I've never lost a beetle to a scorpion. Their shells are very effective armor.

I've actually fed one of my darklings to an euscorpius, it was definitely eaten haha.

 

[Dovey]

I've actually fed one of my darklings to an euscorpius, it was definitely eaten haha.

Our Arizona beetles must be tougher!