klawfran3 Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 Hey there all, I'm planning a trip to Arizona over the summer, possibly in June or July. I'm looking to collect as many kinds of beetle as I can and was wondering if anyone knows of some good spots or tips. I'll be using blacklights and possibly mercury vapor if I can get one to work worth a power inverter for me. I'm really wanting to collect specifically: chrysina gloriosa or other chrysina Phanaeus vindex Dynastes granti And any other beetles with colors or large size. I normally focus on hymemoptera and diptera bit I want to collect some beetles for my preserved collection and breeding. I'll be there for a week, but I don't know the best time to go off the year or places to visit. I'll be road tripping around to the best places that people can tell me about. Thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pewrune Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 Dynastes granti comes out in August ~ September. You should check bugguide's data page (for month and States)on those species. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arizonablue Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 Madera Canyon will be your best bet to find any variety of Chrysina. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beetle-Experience Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 Second Madera Canyon, also Box Canyon. If you are looking for general beetles, also try parking lots at night. There is a car-wash in Rio Rico that has been good in July Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratmosphere Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 Good luck! I really want to travel to AZ to see the wildlife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klawfran3 Posted March 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2017 Awesome! thanks for all the suggestions guys! What would be the best way to attract them to me, light traps or just searching through the forest during the day? I've never gone collecting for them, so I wouldn't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klawfran3 Posted March 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2017 Second Madera Canyon, also Box Canyon. If you are looking for general beetles, also try parking lots at night. There is a car-wash in Rio Rico that has been good in July Where is box canyon? is that the one a bit east of phoenix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beetle-Experience Posted March 3, 2017 Report Share Posted March 3, 2017 It is South of Tucson, east of Green Valley, not far from Madera Canyon: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coronado/recarea/?recid=25736 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevinswither Posted March 3, 2017 Report Share Posted March 3, 2017 I'm in AZ and I found plenty of insects even in October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratmosphere Posted March 3, 2017 Report Share Posted March 3, 2017 Kevinswither, have you seen any Dynastes grantii in the wild? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevinswither Posted March 4, 2017 Report Share Posted March 4, 2017 No I did see those desert beetles (darklings), scorpions, spiders, loads of moths and sand roaches... if I went for an actual camping trip focused on entomological study and collection I'd find more. Typically go south Arizona if you want to find desert species and go north if you want giant d granti or any temperate species. The cities aren't really good for getting insects. I tried lookin for some in November no luck cause it's cold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klawfran3 Posted March 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2017 No I did see those desert beetles (darklings), scorpions, spiders, loads of moths and sand roaches... if I went for an actual camping trip focused on entomological study and collection I'd find more. Typically go south Arizona if you want to find desert species and go north if you want giant d granti or any temperate species. The cities aren't really good for getting insects. I tried lookin for some in November no luck cause it's cold Were they interesting kinds of moths? I'd be interesting in light trapping them too. Also does anyone know if Chrisyna are attracted to UV light or would I have to get a mercury vapor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robot Posted March 4, 2017 Report Share Posted March 4, 2017 Payson, AZ is the best-known place to collect D. granti. Late Aug to early Sept is the best time. You probably won't see them in June or July. If you want to collect both Chrysina and moths by the bucketful, go to southeast AZ during the monsoon season (late July to early August) Here's a link: http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/zEEB/butterflies/AZLeps.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevinswither Posted March 5, 2017 Report Share Posted March 5, 2017 Were they interesting kinds of moths? I'd be interesting in light trapping them too. Also does anyone know if Chrisyna are attracted to UV light or would I have to get a mercury vapor? I did see some nice large and small moths flyin around. Arizona is legit pretty good, been trying to find neobarretta spinosa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hisserdude Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 If you happen to find any Eremoblatta nymphs on your trip, please collect some for me lol! Would love to get them into culture! That goes for anyone else in AZ, west Texas, southern CA and southern NV! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klawfran3 Posted March 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 If you happen to find any Eremoblatta nymphs on your trip, please collect some for me lol! Would love to get them into culture! That goes for anyone else in AZ, west Texas, southern CA and southern NV! I'll keep an eye out for them! I'll be around the Joshua Tree area next week if anyone wants to meet up, do they live there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratmosphere Posted March 8, 2017 Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 No I did see those desert beetles (darklings), scorpions, spiders, loads of moths and sand roaches... if I went for an actual camping trip focused on entomological study and collection I'd find more. Typically go south Arizona if you want to find desert species and go north if you want giant d granti or any temperate species. The cities aren't really good for getting insects. I tried lookin for some in November no luck cause it's cold Sounds really fun. I need to go to AZ! Ever find a tarantula just walking outside? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hisserdude Posted March 9, 2017 Report Share Posted March 9, 2017 I'll keep an eye out for them! I'll be in Joshua Tree next week if anyone wants to meet up, do they live there? YES, they do live in that area! Check under rocks, among plant roots in sandy soil and perhaps in rodent burrows to find them, they are pretty small, round and very hairy. Here's an individual from that area: http://bugguide.net/node/view/739724/bgimage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klawfran3 Posted March 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2017 YES, they do live in that area! Check under rocks, among plant roots in sandy soil and perhaps in rodent burrows to find them, they are pretty small, round and very hairy. Here's an individual from that area: http://bugguide.net/node/view/739724/bgimage ooh that's beautiful! I'll definitely search for them, hopefully I can find more than one! If I can find more I'll contact you. I'll be blacklighting too, think they might come to that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hisserdude Posted March 9, 2017 Report Share Posted March 9, 2017 ooh that's beautiful! I'll definitely search for them, hopefully I can find more than one! If I can find more I'll contact you. I'll be blacklighting too, think they might come to that? Yeah, they are really unique, and may also be tricky to breed. Yeah, I hope so too, the more the merrier, (though one gravid female would probably be enough to start a culture). Awesome, thank you very much! Males have wings and often fly to lights, however the females and nymphs, which are what you need to start a colony, prefer to stay hidden and don't come to lights at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InsectaJaeger888 Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Hey there all, I'm planning a trip to Arizona over the summer, possibly in June or July. I'm looking to collect as many kinds of beetle as I can and was wondering if anyone knows of some good spots or tips. I'll be using blacklights and possibly mercury vapor if I can get one to work worth a power inverter for me. I'm really wanting to collect specifically: chrysina gloriosa or other chrysina Phanaeus vindex Dynastes granti And any other beetles with colors or large size. I normally focus on hymemoptera and diptera bit I want to collect some beetles for my preserved collection and breeding. I'll be there for a week, but I don't know the best time to go off the year or places to visit. I'll be road tripping around to the best places that people can tell me about. Thanks all. Tuson Arizona is a mega hotspot for Dynastes Granti but I would advise getting there early in the beetle collecting season because you will be have a lot of steep competition with other collectors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arizonablue Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Tuson Arizona is a mega hotspot for Dynastes Granti but I would advise getting there early in the beetle collecting season because you will be have a lot of steep competition with other collectors Is it? Because I live here and I have never seen one, haha. Are there particular spots you know of that are good for finding them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klawfran3 Posted March 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2017 Just got back from around the Joshua Tree area, didn't see anything even while blacklighting other than some Leps and myrms. Only found three beetles, two Tenebrionids and one strange plumosed-antennaed beetle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratmosphere Posted March 18, 2017 Report Share Posted March 18, 2017 You get any pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klawfran3 Posted March 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2017 Loads of the environment, not too many of the animals since i barely saw any. You can check them out on my Instagram as I post them, my Instagram is Ichneumonidae. EDIT__ I realize you now mean the beetles, I'm stupid lol. I'll post a pic or two of them on here when I get the chance if anyone can ID them for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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