Unusual insects ...part II

[pannaking22]

I thought this was interesting
View attachment 137121

Looks like a Euthyrhynchus floridanus nymph

 

[Biollantefan54]

Looks like a Euthyrhynchus floridanus nymph

That looks like it! Thank you
First I have seen of one!

 

[Smokehound714]

^^-- Daihinibaenetes scale shot.. I cant wait to see how big males get! Male ceuthophilinae grow much larger than females.

^^-- Macrobaenetes algodonensis 'Algodones dunes sand treader' Female

^^-- Macrobaenetes group-shot. Males grow larger and have strange bowed tibia.

If you compare Macrobaenetes with daihinibaenetes, you'll notice that the tibial spines on the forelegs are oriented differently. In Macrobaenetes, these spines project outwards, laterally, to aid in walking on unstable sand. In daihinibaenetes, the spines face inward, allowing them to skewer their prey as they pounce.

^^-- Cysteodemus armatus, the "spider", or "inflated" blister beetle. It's a shame they're virtually impossible to breed, all they need are soft fruit and hibiscus flowers. (they'll eat any malvaecaea)

 

[Hisserdude]

Those Daihinibaenetes and Macrobaenetes are amazing! Are they common around you?

 

[Smokehound714]

No, they are both endemic to the imperial sand dunes area. I live in anaheim, 200+ miles away.

 

[Hisserdude]

Ahh, OK. Hope you are successful breeding them!

 

[Hisserdude]

Here are some Ceuthophilus cf. agassizii that I have been breeding. They are not really cannibalistic, but the males are always biting each others back legs off, which is annoying.

Female:




Male:

 

[Smokehound714]

I was breeding ceuthophilus back in winter.

C. californianus adult male:

One of his offspring:

 

[windscorpions1]

I was breeding ceuthophilus back in winter.

C. californianus adult male:

One of his offspring:

gonna assume these are from the same family as Jerusalem crickets?

 

[Hisserdude]

@Smokehound714: Cool! Are you still breeding them now?

gonna assume these are from the same family as Jerusalem crickets?

Same Infraorder, different families. http://bugguide.net/node/view/595687/bgpage

 

[Smokehound714]

Ive already sold all my specimens.

Ill likely have to wait til fall/winter to find more.

 

[windscorpions1]

@Smokehound714: Cool! Are you still breeding them now?



Same Infraorder, different families. http://bugguide.net/node/view/595687/bgpage

Thanks ill have to look up on these a bit.

 

[Hisserdude]

Ive already sold all my specimens.

Ill likely have to wait til fall/winter to find more.

Ah ok, hope you can find more once fall arrives!

Thanks ill have to look up on these a bit.

You definitely should, cave crickets are usually easy to keep, and make cool pets! Unfortunately most species aren't predatory, though that makes them easier to keep I guess.

 

[Smokehound714]

I like the fact that they're not predatory, makes them easier to rear

 

[Hisserdude]

Yeah, although you gotta admit, feeding something predatory is a bit funner to watch than feeding a scavenger/herbivore!

 

[Smokehound714]

Indeed. She's pretty vicious. She'll actually chase my hand and bite me if I'm not careful. I dont like the idea of 30+ nymphs in separate enclosures, but oh well.. I probably wont have a chance to obtain these again for quite some time, so I'm making it count.

 

[Hisserdude]

Man I wish I had some of those! Wonder how you're supposed to breed them... anyway, when your eggs do hatch you should put all the little containers in a big one, to make things a little easier to move around. You could also maybe get one of those craft boxes with all the compartments, though I'm sure they would jump out real easily then. P.S: if you find yourself with excess of these, I'd love to take a few off your hands.

 

[Dark Raptor]

^^-- Cysteodemus armatus, the "spider", or "inflated" blister beetle. It's a shame they're virtually impossible to breed, all they need are soft fruit and hibiscus flowers. (they'll eat any malvaecaea)

This one is really cool
It is also really hard to breed european species. Larvae of Meloe are bee and bumblebee parasites.

I was taking some pictures last days...

90. Staphylinus erythropterus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

91. Mutilla europaea (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae)

92. Unknown click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

93. Centrotus cornutus (Hemiptera: Membracidae)

94. Unknown click beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae)

95. Hylobius abietis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

96. Liparus glabrirostris (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

 

[Smokehound714]

Man I wish I had some of those! Wonder how you're supposed to breed them... anyway, when your eggs do hatch you should put all the little containers in a big one, to make things a little easier to move around. You could also maybe get one of those craft boxes with all the compartments, though I'm sure they would jump out real easily then. P.S: if you find yourself with excess of these, I'd love to take a few off your hands.

They actually have an interesting reproductive strategy, The females, when ready to mate, will form small 'leks' on a hummock, and they'll wait for a suitable male to court them. If he's successful and they like his drumming, they'll accept him and he'll take control of his 'harem' for a short period, mating and ensuring other males dont mate with them. I'm unsure if females naturally tolerate each other, or if instinct just tells them not to kill each other during the breeding season, information about this genus is extremely lacking.

In fact, there are only three species of daihinibaenetes listed.. and one of them, D giganteus, likely doesn't belong in this genus, as they possess sand-baskets, and males have strongly bowed tibia on their third pair of legs- something Daihinibaenetes lackes entirely! So D giganteus is probably either ammobaenetes, or macrobaenetes.

 

[Hisserdude]

That's very interesting, I had no idea they had such a complex breeding ritual!