# My Insect Wishlist



## galeogirl (Dec 23, 2002)

I love keeping insects, they don't have the longevity of ts, but they are so interesting to watch.  Here's my list of desirable insects.

Australian walking sticks
Rainbow lubbers 
Other exotic grasshoppers or crickets
Death's head roaches
Assassins (any)
Toebiter
Orchid mantids
Leaf mantids
Predatory beetles
Dermastid beetles (if I could think of a way to control the smell)
Orange-headed roaches
Harlequin roaches
Velvet ants

Oh, and, while not a list, I wish I could get more information on participating in Oregon's native butterfly protection plan.  I know there are people out there helping, but I haven't found the contact info for anyone in charge.  Until then, I just keep designing the bee and butterfly garden.

So, what insects do you want?


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## atavuss (Dec 23, 2002)

> _Originally posted by galeogirl _
> *I love keeping insects, they don't have the longevity of ts, but they are so interesting to watch.  Here's my list of desirable insects.
> 
> Australian walking sticks
> ...


dermastid beetles have a smell?  I usually get a few larvae with my cricket order and there are sometimes adult beetles in with them.
I have always been interested in the large horned beetles and the spiny type katydids.
Ed

I forgot to mention fireflies, I have always wanted to see what they look like at night time, the closest I have ever gotten is @ Disneyland when you go through "the pirates of the caribean"(sp?) and they have all the fake fireflies at the begining of the ride.  A friend of mine that lives by New Orleans tried to videotape them for me but she said it did not work well.
Ed


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## galeogirl (Dec 24, 2002)

Dermastid beetles are flesh-eating beetles, the kind they use to strip bones clean.  It's the food source (raw meat) that causes the odor problems.


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## Gillian (Dec 24, 2002)

Paige,
    I'm riding the insomnia express. Here's what I want:
* Harlequin Scarab
* Any Rhinoceros Beetle
* Sunspider
* Green June Bug
* Rainbow Grasshopper (these rock!)

    I'm sure I could list more, but these are on my mind.

Peace,
Gillian


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## Theraphosa (Dec 24, 2002)

hey galeogirl,
have you heard of a Tiger Beetle before? I've heard it on Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. pretty cool beetle.. I wouldn't mind having one...


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## galeogirl (Dec 24, 2002)

Yeah, tiger beetles are cool.  I've seen them on Kelly's pricelist before and I'd like to give them a try.


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## Wade (Dec 26, 2002)

Tiger beetles (Family Cicindelidae)are very, very cool. Most of our US species are 3/4" or less, there is bigger, flightless variety that lives (I think) in the rocky mountain region. The DREAM tiger to have would be the giant 3" species from South Africa, that apparently lives for several years as an adult.

Many ground beetles (Carabids) are also interesting. I currently have two species of Pasimachus, impressive, broad-bodied beetles with huge mandibles.

One of my favorite beetles to have around is the passalid known as the bess beetle, Odontotaenius disjunctus. These guys are about an inch and a half long and chew tunnels and galleries in rotten wood. They actually communicate with one annother through sound (stridulation)!

My "wish list" consists mainly of animals that are, sadly, illegal for us to keep here in the US without a permit from the USDA. Here's a few of them:

Exotic Dynastine scarabs, such us Dynastes hercules (males are up to 9" long with horns!), Chalcosoma atlas, and various elaphant beetles. I'm keeping some natives, but I'd love to get my hands on some of those giant exotics!

Goliaths and other giant Cetoniid scarabs-imagine mosterous versions of our native june beetles!

Phasmids-keeping enough food plants around to keep them going might be a pain, but if it was for some of those giant pricklies or jungle nyphs it would be worth it!  


Wade


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## Dr_Strange (Jan 5, 2003)

Family: Dermestidae, always interested me. Since the day I first learned of them watching "The Relic"  cool show  . So what Genus sp. of dermestid beetles do you have "D. reductus , T. sternale maderae , etc."?

Also the sad thing about Mantids are their short lifespan.



> _Originally posted by Galeogirl_
> *So, what insects do you want?*


Any lepidopteran or coleopteran, would do.


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## galeogirl (Jan 5, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Dr_Strange _
> *So what Genus sp. of dermestid beetles do you have "D. reductus , T. sternale maderae , etc."?
> *


I don't have any yet, but I found a taxidermy supplier online who sells them, unfortunately there was no scientific name listed on the website the last time I looked.


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## Dr_Strange (Jan 6, 2003)

Opps. Sorry, I forgot that was your wish list and not what you owned . lol Dont I feel like an shmuck


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## Wade (Jan 7, 2003)

Starting a dermestid colony should be easy. I often find them in cricket boxes. The larvae ar bristly and look like tiny porcupines. 

They are also the scourge of anyone with a pinned insect colection. They will destroy entire collections in a short period of time.

Wade


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## Lasiodora (Jan 23, 2003)

> _Originally posted by galeogirl _
> *Dermastid beetles are flesh-eating beetles, the kind they use to strip bones clean.  It's the food source (raw meat) that causes the odor problems. *


The dermestid beetles my friend has kept would finish the food before it would start decaying. Of course he had several hundred 
Mike


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## jezzy607 (Jan 24, 2003)

Well, if you have a way to freeze dry the meat, it will not smell as bad, also dead insects work for many if not all species, but most species like there food to be on the dry side.


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## Mojo Jojo (Jan 24, 2003)

I totally dig mantids -- especially the preying mantis!  
Of course I love Dragonflies!
I'd be interested in getting a giant beetle like those pictured in the two following pictures:

http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmnh/buginfo/beetle.gif

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1930000/images/_1933375_beetle1_300.jpg

Jon


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## Mr. Hell (Jan 24, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Wade _
> *Tiger beetles (Family Cicindelidae)are very, very cool. Most of our US species are 3/4" or less, there is bigger, flightless variety that lives (I think) in the rocky mountain region. The DREAM tiger to have would be the giant 3" species from South Africa, that apparently lives for several years as an adult.
> 
> *


hi,

the south-african one is called Mantichora scabra.
i have two of them, unfortunatly both males.

but they´re really one the most interesting carnivore beetles and pretty easy to keep (if you have the luck to get some younger adults). one of them is now 1 year old.

greetz
andy


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## Wade (Jan 24, 2003)

Apparently, they're quite long lived...

A friend of mine who used run the insect zoo at the LA Natural History Museum collected several for the zoo 5-6 years ago and apparently they're still alive! Very cool.  I'd love to get some...

Wade


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## Valael (Jan 24, 2003)

How come no one ever mentions those Bombardment (sp?) beetles?  (Not sure if I got that name right though)



The ones who basically have exlosive chemicals fly out of their backside..


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## GQ. (Jan 24, 2003)

One of my all time favorites are Dung Beetles.  I always get a kick out of seeing them in action.  Two of my other US favorites are the five lined beetles and the fig beetles.  I too would love to see a firefly in real life.  I've wanted to see one since I was a kid.  As a kid I found a caterpillar like larvae with a glowing tip at the end of its body.  I don't know what it was, but it was the only one of its kind that I ever found in extreme southern New Mexico.  I don't know how common they are or what they are called.  Neat creature.  Anybody know what it might be?  I can draw a fairly good picture of it.  I remember it clearly.  I must have looked at it for several hours.

Other favorites,

Ant lions
Dragonflies
Hercules beetles
Tiger beetles
Jewel scarabs
Leaf cutter ants
Vinegaroons
Walking sticks - I once saw several hundred during a night of road cruising for a snakes on a stretch of road west of Albuqueruqe.
Some sort of big fat black grasshopper that appeared to be literally everywhere while road cruising near Rodeo, New Mexico.

and probably about a bajillion others.


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## Ephesians (Jan 25, 2003)

> I forgot to mention fireflies, I have always wanted to see what they look like at night time, the closest I have ever gotten is @ Disneyland when you go through "the pirates of the caribean"(sp?) and they have all the fake fireflies at the begining of the ride. A friend of mine that lives by New Orleans tried to videotape them for me but she said it did not work well.


You've never seen fireflies at night?  Man, that sucks.  We have them all over in the spring seasonal nights here.  It's so beautiful.  I've often hated being a country boy...but living in the city now (  ), I've grown to miss it.  

In Him,
M/E


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## Wade (Jan 26, 2003)

Although there are firefly species in the west (what G.Q. saw was probably a larvae), there are definately alot more prominent in the eastern half of the US. I often get jealous of the wide variety of scorpions and tarantulas you westerners enjoy, but we've got some cool stuff on this coast too. My yard is filled with fireflies in the summer, they star flashing on the ground in the grass in the early eavening, and gradually fly higher and higher the later it gets. Each species has a unique flash pattern. They're predators, in fact the female of one species feeds on males of other species. She attracts them by immitating the flash pattern of other species!

There hasn't been much success in rearing them in captivity, unfortunately. 

Wade


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