My little beetle

[Tony]

Bought it as "Predacious Beetle" $5

What a great great little pet. It's like friggin watching Tremors in there...I never see it, but toss a cricket in every week...And watch this thing break through the surface and crush the hapless cricket before dragging it under..

Graboid !
Tony

It measures about 1.25" long btw

 

[P. Novak]

haha woah that sounds hella tight dude!! very nice!

 

[beetleman]

ahhh,i love those guys that's pasumachus ssp. they are quite hardy too, where did you get it from? don't mind me asking,i'm looking for some of those

 

[Tony]

Got it locally at the swap from a bug dude...I think it came from tennesee, either he got it or a friend.. Can you see the violet on its wings? Seems to be underneath but runs around the hard 'shell' all the way around the beetle....

I am pleased it has lasted this long, 6 months maybe in my care.....What a killer, but it seems its eyesight is poor, whenever a cricket bumps into it above ground it goes nuts, bouncing off walls looking for it
T

 

[beetleman]

yeah, they are great! they can live up to 2years!(maybe more) they love waxworms also,they just tear them up,they are qite colorful,the purple blue on the sides are amazing,it's true they can't see to well.enjoy him! predatory ground beetles rock! :worship:

 

[Stylopidae]

I wish I could find large, interesting species in my area. The only large, predatory beetles we have are diving beetles.

 

[beetleman]

what kind of diving beetles are they by chance,i'm always on the lookout for those also,i'm in fla.and they are not that big down here,what state are you from?if you don't mind me asking,i'm looking for the large north american types(dytiscus ssp.)

 

[Stylopidae]

I am from Iowa and those are the types of beetles we have. I am planning on breeding them next year for sale.

 

[beetleman]

awesome,thanks, definitly keep me in mind :drool: the larva of these beetles are just as amazing as the adults. :worship:

 

[Stylopidae]

Beetleman, I shot you a PM with a bit more info.

I agree...the water tigers are awesome. Look for a post called 'Aquatic Insects' for more info on the beetles.

 

[heyjeyniceid]

I have the green counterpart to yours:

 

[Scythemantis]

Looks a little like some beetles I keep finding at work during summer...except they don't have color, and their front legs are more shovel-like. I don't think they're the same thing.

I would love some of these as well.

 

[beetleman]

now that is an awesome beetle!! yeah, wouldn't mind having some of those also.

 

[Wade]

Pasimachus are fairly long-lived by insect standards. I collected some of the greenish variety (Pasimachus viridens) in AZ in 2001 and the last one died in 2004.

The purple ones apparently occur in VA but I've never seen them. There's other species as well, including some all-black ones that are considerably larger.

Wade

 

[beetleman]

yeah,i'm down in fla. and they are pretty big 2" all black/voilet blueish on the sides,used to find them,but now with all the construction going on their habitats are getting destroyed gotta go to the untouched areas to find them.