Looking for US beetle vendors

[Ciphor]

As the title says, I'm looking for some good US beetle vendors, and having trouble finding them. Just to give you an idea of what I'm looking for:

Pachnoda (butana, marginata, alluaudi, pretty much any pachnoda)
Dynastes Hercules Hercules
Goliathus Preissi
Megasoma elephas and acteon
Cetonischema speciosa jousselini
Cetonischema aeruginosa
Phalacroganthus Muelleri
Stephanorrhina Julia
Smaragdesthes africana oertzeni
Mecynorrhina ugandensis

Any help finding any of these species would be greatly appreciated!

 

[pannaking22]

There are only a handful of people that I can think of that may have something like that. Ask on beetleforum.net and I'm sure someone will know. I don't think you can get Goliathus in the US or not, but I think the rest should be ok...?

 

[Smokehound714]

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of the insects on your list are federally illegal to import/possess in america.

 

[Micrathena]

I am sorry for this, it is what came to mind when you said "beetle vendors."
"Beetles! Beetles! Get yer beetles here! Best prices in town, right here! Beetles!"

 

[MrCrackerpants]

I am sorry for this, it is what came to mind when you said "beetle vendors."
"Beetles! Beetles! Get yer beetles here! Best prices in town, right here! Beetles!"

:biggrin:lmao:biggrin:

 

[Galapoheros]

I wish we could get more beetles here, so many are only rotting debris eaters. And most that are of interest in the hobby are tropical so they prob couldn't survive in most of the US anyway, good luck.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

I am sorry for this, it is what came to mind when you said "beetle vendors."
"Beetles! Beetles! Get yer beetles here! Best prices in town, right here! Beetles!"

Still when I see this thread...

:biggrin:lmao:biggrin:

 

[klawfran3]

all of those beetles are basically illegal. If I remember correctly, the law is something like every non-native herbivore insect is illegal.

 

[khil]

all of those beetles are basically illegal. If I remember correctly, the law is something like every non-native herbivore insect is illegal.

'Murica. Fantastic.

 

[Smokehound714]

Well, these laws are understandable, though. Both lepidoptera and coleoptera contain the absolute WORST agricultural and environmental pests known to mankind.

 

[pannaking22]

Well, these laws are understandable, though. Both lepidoptera and coleoptera contain the absolute WORST agricultural and environmental pests known to mankind.

And considering those are typically on the smaller side, it would be shocking to see affect the larger species could have. Not necessarily saying that they will, but the potential is there.

 

[benf12]

I actually have has this conversation several times. Many of the aforementioned species are tropical species that feast on fruit and sap. Their young feed on rotting dead hardwood trees. Thus, these beetles, will not be able to survive and reproduce in much of the colder areas of the U.S. Even if they could survive, they would not be doing much harm to the agrarian economy of the United States. All of these bans on herbivorous beetles are because of the ALB plague that infested American trees.

I feel your pain; I am also looking for beetle vendors.

 

[khil]

I actually have has this conversation several times. Many of the aforementioned species are tropical species that feast on fruit and sap. Their young feed on rotting dead hardwood trees. Thus, these beetles, will not be able to survive and reproduce in much of the colder areas of the U.S. Even if they could survive, they would not be doing much harm to the agrarian economy of the United States. All of these bans on herbivorous beetles are because of the ALB plague that infested American trees.

I feel your pain; I am also looking for beetle vendors.

Agreed, it's hilarious to think these species could even handle the weather conditions in most of the US.

Well, these laws are understandable, though. Both lepidoptera and coleoptera contain the absolute WORST agricultural and environmental pests known to mankind.

I don't want to start a debate here, but OP has mentioned several giant scarabs and lucanids. Do you really think these could survive anywhere outside of say Florida in the US and become pests? They don't even attack crops.

Hell, even if by some act of god they became established, I think they'd generate enough revenue and interest to justify their introduction. I mean if we were really interested in saving the ecosystem the first thing we'd ban would be cats and rats.

And considering those are typically on the smaller side, it would be shocking to see affect the larger species could have. Not necessarily saying that they will, but the potential is there.

Think for a minute. Giant beetles=slower reproduction rate and easier to spot, monitor, and control.

 

[Smokehound714]

Agreed, it's hilarious to think these species could even handle the weather conditions in most of the US.


I don't want to start a debate here, but OP has mentioned several giant scarabs and lucanids. Do you really think these could survive anywhere outside of say Florida in the US and become pests? They don't even attack crops.

Hell, even if by some act of god they became established, I think they'd generate enough revenue and interest to justify their introduction. I mean if we were really interested in saving the ecosystem the first thing we'd ban would be cats and rats.


Think for a minute. Giant beetles=slower reproduction rate and easier to spot, monitor, and control.

You're not seeing the whole picture. It's not simply their diet and ecology in the wild that makes them a threat, but more-so the parasites and phoretic animals they can host. They could spread diseases through native beetle populations.

But to begin with, I wasnt solely targeting these species as pests anyway. It's just a simple fact that both lepidoptera and coleoptera contain the worst insect pests. For example, the emerald tree borer, a species of buprestid, is devastating our native ash trees. The gypsy moth is another devastating pest, and can destroy entire sections of hardwood forest, thanks to their habit of feeding in groups.

What is the point of saying you dont want to start a debate, then starting one? Besides.. how do you know they wont raid fruit crops? Many scarabidae actually happen to be really annoying pests, like fig beetles, which are a pest in stone fruit crops, the japanese beetle, of course, which became a VERY bad pest here, and many other species, too many to list.

Goliath beetles do NOT excessively eat sap. Stag beetles do, though. But let's put that all aside and look at a different point of view- The native scarabs that ALSO grow slowly are put at risk by a new alien species displacing them. Many portions of the US are perfectly capable of supporting many tropical species, including california, and most of the southern states. Decomposing plant matter actually causes heat, so even though it could be cold on the surface, the grubs will be nice and cozy.

 

[khil]

You're not seeing the whole picture. It's not simply their diet and ecology in the wild that makes them a threat, but more-so the parasites and phoretic animals they can host. They could spread diseases through native beetle populations.

But to begin with, I wasnt solely targeting these species as pests anyway. It's just a simple fact that both lepidoptera and coleoptera contain the worst insect pests. For example, the emerald tree borer, a species of buprestid, is devastating our native ash trees. The gypsy moth is another devastating pest, and can destroy entire sections of hardwood forest, thanks to their habit of feeding in groups.

What is the point of saying you dont want to start a debate, then starting one? Besides.. how do you know they wont raid fruit crops? Many scarabidae actually happen to be really annoying pests, like fig beetles, which are a pest in stone fruit crops, the japanese beetle, of course, which became a VERY bad pest here, and many other species, too many to list.

Goliath beetles do NOT excessively eat sap. Stag beetles do, though. But let's put that all aside and look at a different point of view- The native scarabs that ALSO grow slowly are put at risk by a new alien species displacing them. Many portions of the US are perfectly capable of supporting many tropical species, including california, and most of the southern states. Decomposing plant matter actually causes heat, so even though it could be cold on the surface, the grubs will be nice and cozy.

You're generalizing for a whole group. Not every scarab species would be a pest, and I can't even imagine goliath becoming a pest. I highly doubt they could survive for long even in somewhere like California given how drastically different their native habitat is.

Anyway, I can't change your beliefs. If you believe we need more government intervention telling us what to do and babying us, that's fine. I just wish people had more options for keeping insects and other cool pets that haven't proven to be invasive, one day we'll all be dead and won't be able to experience raising such beautiful animals.

 

[The Snark]

Well, these laws are understandable, though. Both lepidoptera and coleoptera contain the absolute WORST agricultural and environmental pests known to mankind.

Scratching head. A catch 22 antilogical? Both lepidoptera and coleoptera contain the absolute WORST agricultural and environmental pests known to the very worst of environmental destroyers.

 

[Smokehound714]

You're generalizing for a whole group. Not every scarab species would be a pest, and I can't even imagine goliath becoming a pest. I highly doubt they could survive for long even in somewhere like California given how drastically different their native habitat is.

Anyway, I can't change your beliefs. If you believe we need more government intervention telling us what to do and babying us, that's fine. I just wish people had more options for keeping insects and other cool pets that haven't proven to be invasive, one day we'll all be dead and won't be able to experience raising such beautiful animals.

Okay if you're gonna ignore everything i just said, and spew ad hominem, im not gonna continue to speak to you. Man. Not once did i say all scarabs are bad. What the hell man, this seriously pisses me off. I just said many scarabids are pests.. I never said the whole group was bad.

IGNORE-LIST NO JUTSU!

 

[khil]

LOL okay. I didn't ignore what you said, and I didn't bring up ad hominem. Like I said, there's nothing I can do to change your mind. I guess insect enthusiasts (as well as many pet owners) will have to suffer because our government is "protecting" us on a "what if" basis.

OP, you might want to try to get into contact with museums or zoos and see if they have anything. Entomological societies are worth a check too.

 

[Lucanus95]

Keep in mind that D. hercules hercules can produce viable hybrids with D. tityus and grantii so if the hercules gets loose somehow, than they can potentially threaten the purity of native Dynastes in the area. Also, even though these guys are tropical species, they can withstand climates of southern states such as AL and GA if they were in larval form.

 

[pannaking22]

Think for a minute. Giant beetles=slower reproduction rate and easier to spot, monitor, and control.

Oh, I agree that many of those species are quite large with slower life cycles, but others aren't. Pachnoda is about the same size as our local Cotinis. But the larvae don't just hang out where everyone can see. Considering the problems that many of the southern states have with fruit and orchard pests, adding another potentially major one could be bad. Emerald ash borers and Asian longhorn beetles have both been extremely destructive and neither have been easy to find due to their larvae living in wood. Keeping native biodiversity should be an important goal, especially if there is a risk of hybridization.

All that being said, I would love to be able to keep several of those species. Several of them likely wouldn't be able to survive the climate of the US, but people have had that thought before and released things, leading to infestations or establishment of new species (pythons in Florida, wild hogs in Texas).