Looking for my first non-T/scorp

[woodermeloon]

Im looking for a non-T/scorp to make a really cool little natural set up for. I have spare 2.5 and 5 gallons. Ive looked at vinegroons, whip scorpions, assassin bugs, leather beetles, and warrior beetles so far.

What I'm looking for is something that is going to be activate, id prefer something that could be kept communally (not a huge consideration), and I do not want something that is going to actively eat whatever plants I put in the tank. More than anything else I want something that is going to live at least year (I got really attached to a mantid this year and did not enjoy watching the creature get old and die in fast forward).

In brief: what are some of your favorite non-tarantula inverts you guys have kept? The more strange or unusual the better!

 

[basin79]

Im looking for a non-T/scorp to make a really cool little natural set up for. I have spare 2.5 and 5 gallons. Ive looked at vinegroons, whip scorpions, assassin bugs, leather beetles, and warrior beetles so far.

What I'm looking for is something that is going to be activate, id prefer something that could be kept communally (not a huge consideration), and I do not want something that is going to actively eat whatever plants I put in the tank. More than anything else I want something that is going to live at least year (I got really attached to a mantid this year and did not enjoy watching the creature get old and die in fast forward).

In brief: what are some of your favorite non-tarantula inverts you guys have kept? The more strange or unusual the better!

Mantids get my vote every time. Not very active though.

Jumping spiders are also phenomenal little things. Curious and comical.


Predatory beetles are great too. They're insane when they're hunting.

I keep assassins (Psytalla Horrida) and they're stunning. But unless they sense food near by they're pretty sedentary.

 

[Jacob Ma]

There are a plethora of roaches that can be kept, if your household allows for them. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and environments that may fit your need. Millipedes are pretty nice and handle-able at that, and even though they might nibble on some plants, when fed with a steady supply of dead organic matter and fresh vegetables they won't bother touching them. The strangest inverts I have kept are stick insects, which look simply amazing as they blend in with their foodplants, but certain species have legal issues and they do only eat plants (and need them constantly too, or they will try to eat each other).

 

[BobBarley]

My vote is for a communal of Phrynus marginemaculatus. Very interesting inverts, fairly active and lives longer than a year. Definitely fits the "strange and unusual". Awesome predators.