Beatle ID

[T Frank]

Beetle ID

My wife found this on the sidewalk today, can anyone tell me what it is, sex, and how it should be housed?

without flash

Thanks

 

[crpy]

Metallic dung beetle, (phaneus vindex)male, will feed on cow poop, dog poop, deer poop, most poops, short life span.
I use them for presentations then release, but maybe some beetle keepers will chime in.

 

[T Frank]

Thank you

 

[crpy]

Thank you

your welcome, oh , females dont have horns

 

[Shagrath666]

i just have to say, THAT IS AWESOME!!!, how far do they range in the U.S.? do i have any shot at finding one in good old Wisconsin, cause if i do im going right now to find one!!

 

[crpy]

i just have to say, THAT IS AWESOME!!!, how far do they range in the U.S.? do i have any shot at finding one in good old Wisconsin, cause if i do im going right now to find one!!

I dont....think they get up that far, at least I cant find any evidence of them being there, pretty far range in the lower states though, but maybe someone else will post. They are very cool beetles and they will feign death too.

 

[Shagrath666]

I dont....think they get up that far, at least I cant find any evidence of them being there, pretty far range in the lower states though, but maybe someone else will post. They are very cool beetles and they will feign death too.

man, you guys in the lower states get all the cool stuff:wall: not much survives the winter here unless it can hibernate or produce cold resistant larvae

 

[crpy]

man, you guys in the lower states get all the cool stuff:wall: not much survives the winter here unless it can hibernate or produce cold resistant larvae

lol, yeah but i can appreciate stuff up north too ,like I saw a woodchuck for the first time in the wild this past summer in NC ,it was awesome. I know thats not north but its north of me lol. Ive never been up where your at but would like too some day.

 

[Shagrath666]

lol, yeah but i can appreciate stuff up north too ,like I saw a woodchuck for the first time in the wild this past summer in NC ,it was awesome. I know thats not north but its north of me lol. Ive never been up where your at but would like too some day.

we do have a lot of neat spiders, also we get some cool native newts and salamanders, the whooping crane project you guys get down in Florida starts here in Wisconsin. Plus we have the 2nd best zoo in the country but not as many cows as everyone thinks, though i think we still have the best cheese and beer in the country. we are the most drunken state per capita by far, so maybe we just dont look hard enough for those super cool insects

 

[crpy]

we still have the best cheese and beer in the country. we are the most drunken state per capita by far, so maybe we just dont look hard enough for those super cool insects

lol, yeah I have friends from there, whew,no way I can keep up with them...and thats just the girls. Yeah actually you only have half the cool bugs you think you do..lol

 

[calum]

Wow, that is one beautiful beetle.

 

[BeetleExperienc]

T Frank ,

He will need fresh dung; cow works fine (it's best if the farmer hasn't used de-wormer in the past few months). Any container is fine. They are diurnal and are happier near a sunny window, just make sure the container is vented and that he doesn't get too much sun (or he will overheat). Dirt is fine for substrate.

Steven

 

[T Frank]

Thanks
I live in the city, so he must be living off of dog and cat dung I think I will just let him loose to fulfill his life in his natural habitat.

 

[hereyougo]

would you like to sell it??

 

[peejay]

You people in the U.S. are soooooooooooooo lucky to have critters like that!
Here in Britain there's nothing like that. Absolutely zilch.

I'm emigrating!

Superb photos by the way.

 

[crpy]

ol, yeah I have friends from there, whew,no way I can keep up with them...and thats just the girls. Yeah actually you only have half the cool bugs you think you do..lol

shagrath666: I meant to say you have more cool bugs than you think you do.

 

[ArachnoBasement]

I just wanted to buzz in and say that I bet you can find them in WI. As far as I know, they have a wide range covering most of the US. I find them pretty frequently here in northeast PA and we're pretty far north, about equal to Milwakee I'd think. You can set up a trap for them. The easiest is to take a gallon milk jug, cut around the top just above the handle. Then turn the top part you cut off upside down (like a funnel) and put it back into the bottom of the jug and staple around the edges. You bury this level with the surrounding surface and then off to the side stick some kind of "arm" into the ground (a metal coat hanger works well), and hang a dixie cup or something from the top right above the hole to your "funnel trap" you make. Dung or some other bait goes into the cup naturally. The beetles try to come to the bait hanging above and fall into your milk jug trap. My friend caught 20+ in one evening last summer with this set up. He used human dung... .. but I can't bring myself to go that far. I try to find fresh horse or cow.

 

[Austin S.]

Dude Frank, that is the most sweetest looking beetle I've ever seen!!!

I think I have seen females around here before, they are just plain green, about 1" long. But nothing like that. Awesome find!!!

 

[T Frank]

Thanks people