What is the most unusual insect you have?

Bunyan van Asten

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I was wondering what the most unusual insect is that you have, I'm talking things rarer kept than leeches and such.
 

EulersK

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I often have Solifugae species, but man are they hard to keep alive for some reason. I find them in the yard often, and I've been refining my care as time goes on. I currently have one that's pushing 6 months in my care, which is the longest I've kept one alive.
 

GingerC

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I often have Solifugae species, but man are they hard to keep alive for some reason. I find them in the yard often, and I've been refining my care as time goes on. I currently have one that's pushing 6 months in my care, which is the longest I've kept one alive.
I was wondering if anyone kept those! They're neat little guys, that's for sure.

The most unusual thing I keep is a ladybug larva. :( The only reason that's unusual compared to my other inverts is that I can't even find a caresheet mentioning any feeders for them besides aphids and sugar water. There are no aphids my yard and yet there are ladybugs, so there's something they're eating and I will find it. I've been adding plants, sticks, and dirt at random in the hopes of finding mites. :/
 

EulersK

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The most unusual thing I keep is a ladybug larva. :( The only reason that's unusual compared to my other inverts is that I can't even find a caresheet mentioning any feeders for them besides aphids and sugar water. There are no aphids my yard and yet there are ladybugs, so there's something they're eating and I will find it. I've been adding plants, sticks, and dirt at random in the hopes of finding mites. :/
Have you tried springtails? My only worry is that ladybugs aren't exactly fast, and springtails would likely get away.
 

GingerC

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Have you tried springtails? My only worry is that ladybugs aren't exactly fast, and springtails would likely get away.
I was thinking I'd try some next time I went to the pet store and see if the larva will eat them. In the meantime, it's sustaining itself on mites and honey, and if it doesn't work out at least I can let it go. :)
 

Bunyan van Asten

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I often have Solifugae species, but man are they hard to keep alive for some reason. I find them in the yard often, and I've been refining my care as time goes on. I currently have one that's pushing 6 months in my care, which is the longest I've kept one alive.
You have those things Where you live do much that you can just take them from your yard?!
 

Andrea82

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I often have Solifugae species, but man are they hard to keep alive for some reason. I find them in the yard often, and I've been refining my care as time goes on. I currently have one that's pushing 6 months in my care, which is the longest I've kept one alive.
I am SO jealous right now...
The Netherlands don't have much to offer in terms of crazy insects/inverts due to being rather cold and rainy and densely populated. You'd have to look really hard for an insect that is larger than my thumb...:(
 

Nephila Edulis

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Feb 27, 2017
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The strangest invert I keep is probably a blue garden flatworm. They're probably the slowest predators on earth but they're relentless, sorta like a zombie. One also appeared with a red sphere next to it this morning. I have absolutely no idea what it is but I have a suspicion that it's what some people where calling an "egg cocoon" but the pictures of egg cocoons they had were black.
 

Lucashank

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I often have Solifugae species, but man are they hard to keep alive for some reason. I find them in the yard often, and I've been refining my care as time goes on. I currently have one that's pushing 6 months in my care, which is the longest I've kept one alive.
I kept some of the native ones from here for nearly a year, but I'm fairly certain most if not all were males. I remember reading about keepers commonly having them die quickly (days to weeks), so I experimented a little. I kept them in small containers like deli cups in my garage next to the swamp cooler. The temperature ranged from 60-70F and the humidity was high. I gave them tons of substrate to burrow, and only fed them maybe once a month, and a small cricket at that. I also kept them in damp coco fiber. This was more than ten years ago, so i'm sure that things have changed, but when I saw everyone keeping them in temperatures of 80F+, feeding weekly (or more), kept super dry, and also with only a wood hide, and failing miserably, I figured I would try nearly the opposite.
Although, surprisingly, I haven't seen a solifugid in the US for a couple years. Last one I saw was a crazy fast, lanky dude in Bahrain.
 

Lucashank

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The strangest invert I keep is probably a blue garden flatworm. They're probably the slowest predators on earth but they're relentless, sorta like a zombie. One also appeared with a red sphere next to it this morning. I have absolutely no idea what it is but I have a suspicion that it's what some people where calling an "egg cocoon" but the pictures of egg cocoons they had were black.
I used to keep planarians when I was much younger for "scientific" purposes. Very interesting creatures. Did you catch your flatworm?
 

Nephila Edulis

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I used to keep planarians when I was much younger for "scientific" purposes. Very interesting creatures. Did you catch your flatworm?
Yes I caught it under a piece of wood in my shed. They're everywhere around here. I've also seen a brown species with a yellow stripe around here
 

klawfran3

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Feb 6, 2013
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I raise plecopterans and megalopterans from larvae. It's difficult but very fun when you have an adult hatch out.
 

VolkswagenBug

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Feb 26, 2017
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I've kept earwigs, which you could consider unusual. I've also kept small polydesmids. I'm also planning to purchase a Stenopelmatus and some polyxenids from Bugs in Cyberspace tomorrow.
 

Nephila Edulis

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I raise plecopterans and megalopterans from larvae. It's difficult but very fun when you have an adult hatch out.
I remember ages ago I picked up a magazine about megalopterans. At the time I thought they were pretty scary looking, now I wish I could keep some
 
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