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Tenevanica

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About Tenevanica

  • Birthday 11/20/1993

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Denver, CO
  • Interests
    Insects, entomology, football.

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  1. I've been wanting to get one for years. Let us know how it goes, and if it goes well... then I guess you can tell us your secret!
  2. I wish we had wood like that where I live!
  3. As long as it still had the plastic covering over the top the stuff has an indefinite shelf life.
  4. Bugsincyberspace has the largest collection of beetles in the US. He's the most diverse seller of insects here. I don't know of any USA based sites that have a selection even remotely comparable to the selection of bugsincyberspace.
  5. I love Asbolus verrucosus! They're my all time favorite beetle species! Really, I love love Tenebrionids all around. They're super easy to care for too! You say you're starting with beetles? I recommend you check out bugsincyberspace.com. If you go with darkling beetles, I suggest you purchase these two "kits": http://shop.bugsincyberspace.com/Desert-Beetle-Sampler-bic973.htm http://shop.bugsincyberspace.com/Complete-Desert-Beetle-Habitat-Kit-bic858.htm Or, you can just purchase the blue death feigning beetles separately here: http://shop.bugsincyberspace.com/Blue-Death-Feigning-Beetle-bic977.htm They're out of stock at the moment, but I promise you they'll be back.
  6. Zopherus haldemani can support 300 pounds on it without being crushed. That's an extreme example, but the point is beetle armor is incredibly strong. Chitin is a very tough polysaccharide. When people say beetles are built like tanks, they're not exaggerating. A beetle the size of a tank would have an exoskeleton as strong as said tank's armor. Now, if the snake was large enough the beetle would probably be toast. The snake wouldn't crush it, more just swallow it whole, but it still wouldn't make a very appetizing meal.
  7. Ok, it appears I'm seeing some cannibalism in these as well. I've gone from seven adults down to four, and I saw a detached elytron and a few legs scattered around the enclosure. Should I separate? I feel like I'm feeding them well.
  8. Well of course, but you're unlikely to see tiger beetles in a sandy lot in the middle of a big city. That's kind of what I'm talking about in terms of human activity.
  9. I'll be willing to accept that, but in nearly every entomology or ecology class I've taken, tiger beetles are presented as a bioindicator of a healthy ecosystem and good habitat. I've done more than a few surveys on tiger beetles to help analyze a habitat.
  10. I'm on the Great Plains in the rain shadow of the Rockies. The native habitat around here is dry prairie, and I only ever see Cicindelinae in these native habitats. Anywhere that has been even slightly disturbed will drive the beetles away where I am.
  11. Cicindelinae require very specific moisture and substrate requirements to survive. They also happen to be very intolerant of human activity. It's probably more accurate to say something like "Tiger beetles are common in pristine habitats, and don't often survive areas of human activity." Good judgment should also be used when evaluating a habitat, though biomarkers, like tiger beetles, are a good indicator of good habitat.
  12. I've considered using native soils. I don't know if I should sterilize it or not though. The soil around here is heavily sand and clay based. It's very dry as well. I've given my specimens 5 inches of damp substrate which consists of a mix of sand, peat moss, and coconut fiber. I may switch to native soil though.
  13. EDIT: I've gotten the species identified as Cicindela punctulata.
  14. I was out doing some survey work with a few of my friends and colleagues, and I made sure to give myself some time to collect at my leisure. There were many tiger beetles that dotted the paths we walked upon. As an entomologist, you love to see tiger beetles while collecting. Tiger beetles are indicators of pristine habitat, and pristine habitat is where you usually see the most diversity among insects. I had to collect a tiger beetle! After 15 minutes of chasing them around with my net, I managed to capture one. I'll have to double check, but I believe the species I have is Cicindela obsoleta. I've been doing a bit of research, but I was hoping someone could give me the low down on keeping and breeding Cicindelids. Thanks!
  15. I'm helping out a few friends with a project which involves surveying the Coccinellidae species in our area. It would be helpful if someone knows of an identification key for species that occur across the front range, so that we can accurately conduct the survey. Thanks!
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