Velvet Ants

[Bugs In Cyberspace]

These make great insect pets and do well in communal tanks with darkling beetles, etc.

Uploaded a velvet ant video last weekend. Check it out and let me know what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/user/bugsincyberspace#p/u/0/miqD8oRYbnM

Peter

 

[Sukai94]

Thanks for the video Peter!

Velvet ants are awesome. I have to get some one of these days

 

[Spike]

Awesome vids. I have been checking them out from time to time. The blue death feigning beetle vid was a favorite this one was awesome as well. Keep them coming and ty for sharing

 

[cacoseraph]

right on


they do make neat pets, but they are hermit crabs... can only catch them in nature to kill them without reproducing them in captivity :/



how long can you get yours to live? i can do about 3-4 months with a relatively fresh'y matured female

 

[Bugs In Cyberspace]

These were collected last summer and are feeding on honey-water and hummingbird feeder liquid.

I have a teacher friend with a bee hive and we've talked about experimenting with reproducing these (a male would be necessary). I tend to think most things are possible with enough intention.

 

[zonbonzovi]

Love these little beasts!

Peter- that seems like a Herculean feat! If I recall right, these will mate in mass gatherings & after mating the females will seek out bee/wasp pupal chambers to parasitize with their eggs(?) Were you considering using the hive for the development of the young? However you go about it, seems like a neat experiment. I could imagine some of the multiple tank setups used by the captive wasp keepers as being beneficial, so conditions could be controlled & females could be introduced to hosts. I'm intrigued. I hope you are able to find some males and follow through:drool:

 

[cacoseraph]

oh man! if you could get them to do bees i would be so happy!

i've wanted to get a beehive for a while and that would pretty much mean at some point i would have to


i think some of my buddies were talking about producing velvet ants in captivity in a like, general shooting the breeze way a few times. maybe if you try something and post it up we could get some cool threads going


GL GL GL if you do try it!

 

[myrmecophile]

Although you might be able to get them to actually mate in captivity it is unlikely that using honey bees as hosts will work. Many if not all velvet ants seems to be fairly host specific. Admittedly though not enough is known about host preferences to be sure just which hosts they will chose, and who knows honey bees might work.

 

[cacoseraph]

what about scenting a bunch of bees with one or two of their preferred species?

wasps are like, the poster children of following their instincts TO THE LETTER... so if one could figure out how to short circuit that... well... maybe could be in business

 

[Bugs In Cyberspace]

I do believe solitary, burrowing bees are the hosts of choice, but if you don't try, you don't fail...and surely don't succeed!

(mostly just shooting the breeze here too...I have another 15 years before I can retire and drive around the country in my RV and really try stuff like this.)

Velvet ants are easily one of the most entertaining pet bugs. I mean, c'mon, these things are diurnal, constantly in motion, colorful and fuzzy! If they were easy to breed, somebody would already be doing it!

 

[Arachno Veteran]

Hi Guys,

Let's not forget, these little jewels are not easy to get your hands on...
I've been trying to get my hands on a couple of these for ~ 2 Yrs now...Still NG. Maybe they should really be called 'Rare Velvet Ants'
In the past, Hobbyists, collectors (and Dealers) have told me that I need to wait for mid-Summer - When they are most active, etc. And, I did -but still there were none to be had.
I guess I'll try again this year; with a WTB Ad on here, as well as other sites this Summer...but I won't be too hopeful. Going by how the last 2 Summers turned out.

-Al

 

[cacoseraph]

and don't forget they have MASSIVE jaws and a wicked sting!


and they drink honey water. that's just plain cute =P