Patent Leather Beetle

[Taceas]

I find these guys quite regularly wandering around the yard and driveway as we live in the middle of a forest. I happened to spy this one crossing the garage floor after bringing in a load of partially rotten firewood.

Thought you all might appreciate a couple of pictures. =)

They're quite docile for a wild insect, and don't mind being handled. Although I have no clue what it would take to care for one. Not that I would necessarily want to, either.

 

[dtknow]

Cool beetle! I've heard they do well in captivity and are interesting captives. Supposedly, you can keep them on well aged sawdust perhaps inoculated with some really well decomposed woody bits. The adults take care of the larvae and break down the wood for them. They also communicate by sound.

 

[Vys]

Ooh..the day I have the possibility to move out into the woods :/

And minding pictures? Never when the pictures are as nice as those!

 

[bugmankeith]

Are those the one's dubbed "bess beetles"? If so they are abundant here, they are grumpy if you disturb them under the logs, and their jaws can snap twigs.

 

[beetleman]

:worship: :clap: ahh very nice beetles!

 

[LeilaNami]

Yep I used to find them ALL the time in Arkansas. I was only 7 but I IDed it as a "bess bug". They're jaws are strong but as long as you don't purposely stick your finger where it doesn't need to be you'll be fine.

 

[bugmankeith]

One latched onto my finger once, it hurt! But it never happened again.

 

[LeilaNami]

Yeah they adore rotting wood and if they can chew through that then you bet it's gonna hurt!

 

[padkison]

We kept a colony once for several months in a oak log set on mulch. They make tunnels in the log and wil come out at night and wander about. They squeak if disturbed.

Jaws are scary looking, but they almost never bite.

 

[LeilaNami]

I forgot all about the squeak! I love the squeak!