Suggestions for New Mexico Trip

[satchellwk]

Hello,

So, I'm going on a trip to New Mexico soon (late May-early June), and was wondering if anyone had any tips or knows of good spots for bugs. I know the current plan is to stay in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, so I'll mostly be in north-central portion of the state. I'm hoping to find stuff like scorpions (Hadrurus and Centruroides), Mastigoproctus giganteus, Scolopendra polymorpha and heros, Jerusalem crickets, Arenivaga and Parcoblatta sp. roaches, Tarantulas, Death-feigning Beetles, and pretty much anything else cool. Can these species be found in the general areas of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, or would I have to travel to get a hold of them. Also, do I need to be concerned about collection laws as long as I'm not in protected areas? Can I just pull off on the side of the highway and go nuts or is that frowned upon? Also, any tips for finding herps would be good as well, although I will not be collecting any.

Any advice is greatly appreciated; thanks!

 

[ironmonkey78]

Hi,
I haven't been out collecting in quite a while but you should be able to find a large portion of what your looking for in the Albuquerque, Santa Fe area. I lived in Edgewood for a long while, it is just over the mountain from ABQ and we had tons of Scolopendra polymorpha. I havent had too much luck with tarantulas recently in ABQ but I went pretty early. They should be more active now. They are usually on the edges of town, although I heard that they are pretty abundant in the hills around santa fe. If you are staying anywhere that is close to the edge of town you should be able to find some centipedes fairly easily just by flipping some rocks, same with scorpions. You can likely find beetles and some woodroaches along the rio.

 

[satchellwk]

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Shrike]

City of Rocks State Park is a fantastic place. Highly recommend you check it out.