What kind of beetle is this?

[GartenSpinnen]

Found this at work, what it is? Its very defensive and bitey. When bothered it will freeze, get as high up on its legs as it can and open its jaws really wide. Its also extremely fast and acts like its on crack or something.

 

[spydrhunter1]

Family : Carabidae, Calosoma scrutator, Fiery Searcher

 

[Kid Dragon]

Calosoma scrutator

There are over 350,000 named beetles on this planet, thanks for asking about one I knew. Your beetle looks like a "caterpillar hunter" aka "fiery searcher", family Carabidae, genus Calosoma.

It ranges from southern Canada throught the USA and is active in spring, summer, and fall. It feeds on caterpillars (as caterpillar hunter implies) mostly on the ground and on shrubs. Their yellow larva also eat caterpillars. Adults are nocturnal, and like many ground beetles they have a chemical defense to avoid being eaten, so don't try to eat it

Did you find your Calosoma scrutator by a light at night? Or did you find it dead?

 

[Kid Dragon]

Drats, I was beaten to the punch by a fast typing entomologist! :wall:

kd

 

[Kid Dragon]

Obviously you did not find it dead, if it is being defensive, sorry. If it is doing crack like you suggested, its only a matter of time before its dead.

Many species of carnivorous ground beetles are strong, fast, and savage, ala the tiger beetle. So, its probably not on crack, but if you found it near a major city, you might be right.

In the 60s I knew four beatles that smoked dope.

 

[GartenSpinnen]

Obviously you did not find it dead, if it is being defensive, sorry. If it is doing crack like you suggested, its only a matter of time before its dead.

Many species of carnivorous ground beetles are strong, fast, and savage, ala the tiger beetle. So, its probably not on crack, but if you found it near a major city, you might be right.

In the 60s I knew four beatles that smoked dope.

LOL dude your too funny! So i am definately not going to keep this thing with such special eating requirements! Are they rare?

 

[Kid Dragon]

They are fairly common in both open and wooded areas this time of year in many places in the USA and southern Canada. I'm not sure if they are rare in your area because I don't know where you live. If you live in Kuwait, then yes they are extremely rare.

 

[spydrhunter1]

Drats, I was beaten to the punch by a fast typing entomologist! :wall:

kd

Sorry....it comes from looking at thousands of insects over several decades!

 

[froggyman]

cool find...try feeding it some catipillars

 

[Tarantula_Hawk]

love fiery searchers ^^
looks like you squashed a cockroach under the jar, on the second pic xD

 

[dtknow]

not exactly a common find....I'd love one myself!

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

i kept one for a while and it made the most awful smell in its kritter keeper, it was so disgusting i'd wished i'd never found the thing to begin with ;P

 

[Jer]

That smell would be methacrylic acid, in case someone wanted to know.

 

[GartenSpinnen]

I let the thing go, a week later its laying dead in my yard. WTH? Oh well... that thing was DISGUSTING! The smell was horrid! I will never catch beetles again after that!

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

they are pretty but that smell is ungodly bad, i'm sure not all beetles can be that awful lol. i've been waiting to raise rhinocerous beetles for the last few years, but can't find any at a half-way decent price. i doubt they are let out any kind of stink

 

[Kid Dragon]

The beetle collecting hobby can get more expensive than the tarantula collecting hobby. The Japanese are out of control, some species go for thousands of dollars...and you thought Poecilotheria metallica or Xenesthis were pricey $$$

 

[Jer]

The beetle collecting hobby can get more expensive than the tarantula collecting hobby. The Japanese are out of control, some species go for thousands of dollars...and you thought Poecilotheria metallica or Xenesthis were pricey $$$

Do you have any links for sites like this? I have hundreds of sexy beetles on pins that I would like to try and sell.

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

yeah tarantulas are really not too bad compared to other collectable species of animals. i cringe when i see that $300 price tag on p. metallicas etc, or a several hundred for an adult female, but its really not bad at all comparitively. even if T's are hard to breed they are still very very easy to raise and maintain, so i have to think that is what keeps their price down compared to snakes, lizards, and etc.

 

[Kid Dragon]

Do you have any links for sites like this? I have hundreds of sexy beetles on pins that I would like to try and sell.

Although people do have insect collections of dead insects, the ones the Japanese have been collecting are live and for breeding purposes. They actually sell beetles at Japanese pet shops, and even through vending machines! I wonder if vending machine beetles are alive? :?

 

[Taceas]

I've found a couple of freshly deceased Fiery Searchers drowned in the pool, they are beautiful creatures.

I kept the better specimen and dried it out. I keep it in a box and take it out and look at it, caress it, and whisper "My Precious..." at it.