Oil beetles?

[Scythemantis]

http://www.wildsideholidays.com/natural/images/stories/creepies/bugs/oil-beetle-insignis.jpg

http://images.whatsthatbug.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megetra_rebecca.jpg

http://bugguide.net/images/raw/Q0P0...0CRN0H0U0L020H0W0YQ3K1RMQVRIQCRE0K0XQFRQQ.jpg

I've always loved bizarre-looking blister beetles like these, but I've only seen a dead one (similar to the first image) once in my life. I know some species are brood parasitoids and probably couldn't be bred in captivity, but has anybody ever tried to keep them? I'd love to try if it were possible, though tracking them down is another matter...

 

[Widowman10]

find them all the time at my place in eastern CO. never attempted to breed or keep them though, just observed.

 

[Crysta]

are these the ones that eat dead animals? the red one looks similar to where i found the similar but yellow looking ones.

 

[Widowman10]

you might be thinking of carrion beetles...