Ground beetle ID

Found about six of these title hyperactive stinkers under a rock in the everglades.

Any help in ID or natural history info is appreciated.

Philibugman said:

Found about six of these title hyperactive stinkers under a rock in the everglades.

Any help in ID or natural history info is appreciated.

Click to expand...

Thanks to Bugguide, it belongs to the genus: Chlaenius: Vivid metallic Ground Beetles. Has anyone cared for them before?

I kept a pair found in California, blue elytra, absolutely gorgeous. They like to live, or are often found, near rivers. My pair were found under a rock in a little peninsula that formed towards the inside of a river bed. I believe some species, at certain level of development may even be semi-aquatic. I would have a longer-than-tall enclosure with a fairly humid side and a fairly dry side, even warmth through the back or front end of it (so there is a thermal gradient and a humidity gradient as well). I was feeding mine disabled fruit flies (alive, just not able to run away as fast), and they sure gobbled them up.

Good luck!

yeah, i kept these little stinkers also,fun to keep very active,mine fed on small mealworms,pinhead crickets.awesome little beetle,but i like the larger ground beetles more

manticora said:

yeah, i kept these little stinkers also,fun to keep very active,mine fed on small mealworms,pinhead crickets.awesome little beetle,but i like the larger ground beetles more

Click to expand...

Ometeo and Maticora, thank you for the feedback.

Just received a confirmation for the species; Chlaenius erythropus