Identification of this Blaps

[Carlos.e]

Hi, people in this forum!

This is my first message, and I'm going to introduce myself and my animals.
My name is Carlos, I'm from Spain, and I have a very small collection of arthropods:
-an siperling of Grammostola cala
-another spiderling of Theraphosa blondi
-Blaptica dubia
-Gromphadorrhina portentosa
-Tenebrio molitor
-Blaps spp.

My question is if anyone could identify this specie of Blaps beetle
(I post a photo)

Thank you, and sorry for my bad english.

 

[Dark Raptor]

Hi! And welcome to the AB

I can't ID that specie from your picture for sure. I've got only identyfication keys for polish species. I've searched Fauna Europea database for spanish Blaps species... and found nothing :?
Than I found this page:
http://www.insectariumvirtual.com/entrevista/entrevistajc/htm/entrevistajc.htm
(I don't understand almost anything except latin names )

I see that your list of species looks like this:
Blaps hispanica (Sol.), B lusitánica (Herbst), B.waltli (Seidl) B.bedeli ssp torres-salai (Nov.), B.gigas (L.) B.sulcata ssp brachyura (küst.), B.gibba (Cast.), B. lethifera (Marsch.), B.mucronata (Latreille.)

I'm rather sure it isn't B. gigas, B. sulcata or B. lusitanica. I think you should send email with your pics to spanish museum or university, where somone will be able to correctly ID your specie. Of corse you should take better picture of 'mucro' - this long apical part of elytra.

 

[Scolopendra55]

I'm not sure about the species but it sure does look impressive!!

 

[Carlos.e]

Thank you for your replys.
I caught that beetles in a small vilage of Guadalajara, in the middle sud-east part of spain.
They've put a lot of eggs and I have a lot of larvaes.They are still putting eggs.
Can you tell me how much time spends from egg to adult the Blaps spp?
And how much time live the adults?

 

[Dark Raptor]

Thank you for your replys.
I caught that beetles in a small vilage of Guadalajara, in the middle sud-east part of spain.
They've put a lot of eggs and I have a lot of larvaes.They are still putting eggs.
Can you tell me how much time spends from egg to adult the Blaps spp?
And how much time live the adults?

I keep B. lethifera since May 2005. I noticed first larvae in the end of August

According to prof. Burakowski (1993) - B. mortisaga:
larval developement: 9-16 months
pupation: 35 days (20 degrees C)/ 20 days (25 C). After pupation they spend more than a week in pupation chambers. When fully sclerotized, they emerged from substrate and begin to feed.
lifespan: more than 10 years

Source:
Burakowski B., 1993: Laboratory methods for rearing soil beetles (Coleoptera). Polska Akademia Nauk Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii, Warszawa.

 

[Carlos.e]

Thank you, and do you know how big become their larvaes before pupation?

 

[Dark Raptor]

Thank you, and do you know how big become their larvaes before pupation?

I think they should grow as large, as Zophobas morio larvae. That means ~6 cm.

 

[Carlos.e]

Looking my larvaes of this beetle, I've realised that they don't do the pupation, and some are eaten by their mates.
I think that they only can pupate alone, it's only an idea, but can it be possible?

 

[Dark Raptor]

Looking my larvaes of this beetle, I've realised that they don't do the pupation, and some are eaten by their mates.
I think that they only can pupate alone, it's only an idea, but can it be possible?

Yes, I've also noticed high cannibalism rate.
They pupate deep in the substrate (more than 6 cm). I think that separation of largest larvae could be a good idea.

 

[Carlos.e]

They have been already identified,and they might be Blaps lusitanica, in adittion, I have received some identification tables of de Blaps from Spain and they could be that species.

Another one question: They need hibernation, like other beetles?

Thanks

 

[bugmankeith]

Is that a giant mealworm beetle?

 

[8ball]

Why's your hand all crusty:?
I know the beetles a darkling beetle i got about 30-40 adult one's

 

[Carlos.e]

Is that a giant mealworm beetle?

It's like that, because it's of the same family, Tenebrionidae.

 

[bugmankeith]

Cool, I have tried to raise giant darkling beetles, but I have nothing to seperate them so they pupate. Do darking beetles eat rotting wood?

 

[Dark Raptor]

Another one question: They need hibernation, like other beetles?

I think your specie doesn't need that.

Do darking beetles eat rotting wood?

There are species that develope under bark or in rottened wood (in egz. Zophobas), but most of them are fungivorous (like Diaperis, Bolitophagus, Eledona) or saprophagous (like Tenebrio, Tribolium). There are also predators (like Corticeus, Palorus).

 

[Carlos.e]

I bring you great news!!!
Look at this!!!