# best pet beetle



## Spider787 (Jul 12, 2010)

Whats the best pet beetle?


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## ZephAmp (Jul 12, 2010)

I personally like superworm beetles... They're pretty cool.
I'm sure if I had more of them I'd say _Dynastes tityus_.
_Osmoderma sp._ grubs are pretty entertaining too.


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## loxoscelesfear (Jul 12, 2010)

Dynastes, Strategus, Lucanus.


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## BiologicalJewels (Jul 14, 2010)

I have to say that although the mentioned species are really neat (they truly are), but Cetoniinae (Flower beetles) are quite the little pets. Sure, most don't attain the size of the giants that can come from the previously mentioned genera (and unless you are in Europe you won't be able to get a Goliathus  ), but they are incredibly colored, active during the day, fun to play with and are relatively easy to care for.

As far as a pet beetle, flower beetles take the prize for me.


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## LeilaNami (Jul 14, 2010)

Tiger beetles (Carabidae) are fun as heck to keep.


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## Wlapkiewicz (Jul 15, 2010)

I have to agree that Carabidae such as _Calosoma sycophanta_ are really great pet beetles. Seeing them hunting around container for gypsy moth caterpillars was really an awesome show.


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## beetleman (Jul 15, 2010)

hmmm....manticora(giant tiger beetles):drool:would be awesome to keep,if they were avail,also anthias too. diving beetles(dytiscus) are a blast to keep,and then pasimachus,which ive got now,and man are they aggressive,but to top it off i just got those giant north american black    flightless tiger beetles from orin just got in:worship:these things are sick,super fast,huge mandibles,great hunters.........what more could you ask for?    well......all predatory ground beetles are a blast to keep.


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## recluse (Jul 16, 2010)

I would have to say Death Feigning Beetle. I have heard they can live up to 17 years at least.


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## ZergFront (Jul 17, 2010)

I like keeping the chafers or the large long-horn beetles. If I find any of the latter. I've only had 2 in my lifetime.

 I'd get some tiger beetles or some of the very large beetles, but they are illegal to ship here.


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## Elytra and Antenna (Jul 18, 2010)

One of the Amblycheila (gigantic native tiger beetles that beetleman is talking about) is found in California. Of course you'd likely find a million chafers or longhorns before a single one of them.


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## Anubis77 (Jul 18, 2010)

recluse said:


> I would have to say Death Feigning Beetle. I have heard they can live up to 17 years at least.


As a larva? Are there any beetles that live for a fairly long time as adults?


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## Elytra and Antenna (Jul 18, 2010)

Supposedly as adults but I've heard the same info. for Eleodes which rarely live more than two years. The giant tiger beetles can live over two years.


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## ILoveHotDogs (Sep 18, 2010)

I am interested in this too. I just moved to Japan so I had to abandon my collection of critters back home, but I am interested in beetle keeping as it is popular here. I don't know Japanese well enough to learn about beetle care in that language, and the search didn't turn up much. Does anyone have any guidance?

Thanks


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## GiantVinegaroon (Sep 29, 2010)

Anubis77 said:


> As a larva? Are there any beetles that live for a fairly long time as adults?


I think he means the adults.  I have still yet to hear of someone successfully rearing blue death feigner larvae to adulthood.


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## Elytra and Antenna (Sep 30, 2010)

ILoveHotDogs said:


> I am interested in this too. I just moved to Japan so I had to abandon my collection of critters back home, but I am interested in beetle keeping as it is popular here. I don't know Japanese well enough to learn about beetle care in that language, and the search didn't turn up much. Does anyone have any guidance?
> 
> Thanks


Just go to the store, the beetle mat and foods have picture directions on the back of most of them.


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## more_rayne (Oct 1, 2010)

ILoveHotDogs said:


> I am interested in this too. I just moved to Japan so I had to abandon my collection of critters back home, but I am interested in beetle keeping as it is popular here. I don't know Japanese well enough to learn about beetle care in that language, and the search didn't turn up much. Does anyone have any guidance?
> 
> Thanks


Aren't you able to the the giant hercules beetle in Japan?  There's some youtube videos on them.

I'm looking for giant beetles with cool looking horns, where in the U.S. can I buy some?


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## Cincade (Aug 2, 2019)

When I lived in Louisiana I grew up playing with June Bugs. I spent hours letting them crawl all over me, my favourite bug to this day! I miss them.


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## BenLeeKing (Aug 3, 2019)

beetleman said:


> hmmm....manticora(giant tiger beetles):drool:would be awesome to keep,if they were avail,also anthias too. diving beetles(dytiscus) are a blast to keep,and then pasimachus,which ive got now,and man are they aggressive,but to top it off i just got those giant north american black    flightless tiger beetles from orin just got in:worship:these things are sick,super fast,huge mandibles,great hunters.........what more could you ask for?    well......all predatory ground beetles are a blast to keep.


_Anthia_ have been breed successfully~ I forgot where specific thread here, but apparently they lay large and fragile eggs that require specific conditions to let them lay.
I wanna give it a go, but obviously, I gotta first obtain some...


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## velvetundergrowth (Aug 10, 2019)

My vote goes to Asbolus verucosus, commonly known as Blue Death-Feigning Beetles or Blue Ironclads. They are a handsome powder blue and reach a decent size. They have a gentle disposition and are very entertaining to watch.
They require a well ventilated, dry enclosure and can be kept communally, and will feed on a wide variety of foods.
While breeding them successfully is rare it has and can be done without too much difficulty.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## equatorial (Aug 10, 2019)

Is this a beetle?


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## Elytra and Antenna (Aug 10, 2019)

I'd go for Dynastes tityus myself but if you're into darklings E. spinipes is 3-4 times the mass of Asbolus and a lot more active.

Reactions: Helpful 1


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## richard22 (Aug 16, 2019)

Bess beetles (Horned Passalus) are pretty cool; large, easy to find under rotting bark, easy to house unless you want to breed. They are large, slow, and squeak a bit like hissing roaches but even higher pitched, they _can _smell like blue cheese in a small enclosure though.


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