Bug hunting in areas devoid of insects

A

AlexW

Eudicella
As stated in my introduction, the San Gabriel Valley is one of the worst places to be an insect enthusiast in. I do not live near any deserts and can't find any darklings, save for stray individuals. Lights usually end up with small dipterans and green lacewings with a few junebugs mixed in, and forests are the worst; they seem like deserts of oak and evergreen, with barely a trace of anything else.

Can any of you share some suggestions? The closest forest is the Angeles National forest, and no natural bodies of water seem to exist nearby.

 
Now that's the wrong attitude to have! I know it seems like there's nothing in urban-suburban southern California, but if you look in the right places you'll find plenty. The trick is to be patient and spend a lot of time in a few good places; there are many times when I've thought a bug hunt would turn up nothing, but then I get lucky and find something under the last rock I flip.

When you say woodlands here are devoid of life, you're flat out wrong. There are countless critters living in the leaf litter, under bark, in or on dying trees, and even in the living trees. Like I said,just don't be discouraged and just spend more time out there.

 
Are there any particular taxa you are looking for? The methods you use, and habitats you search, will differ depending on what it is you hope to find.

 
I live near the Angeles Forest and will be exploring the area soon. As for darklings, I've collected 4 different species at Griffith Park and the Verdugo mountains. I've also seen blister beetles and little (possibly click) beetles in the wildflowers off the trail, not to mention lots of other cool insects.

 
Hisserdude: Sounds useful, where should I set one up for maximum insects?

JWRay: I'm mostly interested in tenebrionids, especially Eleodes.

Trailblazr: Thanks a lot!

 
The only place that I know devoid of insects is outer space even then, dust mites are on the space station

Break open dead trees and rip bark off trees. Lift rocks and dig through leaves. You should find Eleodes easy.

 
Not trying to be offensive, but all of you who are claiming that there are more insects than I think in my area, I am perfectly aware of the common fauna such as various dipterans including crane flies, small click beetles and rove beetles, hemiptera like lygaeids, etc, but I can't keep some one centimeter carabids as pets, right?

 
There are scorpions practically everywhere, trapdoor spiders, tarantulas, many species of darkling beetle, native roaches, leaf beetles, and even stick insects if you go up into the mountains. If you want scarabs, Cotinis is common and fun to breed.

 
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C.mutabilis is going to emerge soon. Thanks to everyone for the tips, and I will soon be posting about summer finds in a few weeks...

 
Though I must insist that there are absolutely no scorpions everywhere, only centipedes hiding under flower pots.
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AlexW said:
Though I must insist that there are absolutely no scorpions everywhere, only centipedes hiding under flower pots.
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You may be looking in the wrong places...
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In OC I see clusters of scorpion burrows (Anuroctonus pococki) literally everywhere. Sometimes they're so dense, there will be 5 per square meter. Bothriocyrtum californicum (trapdoor spider) is almost as common, but more difficult to spot at a glance.

 
If you live in the San Gabriel Valley, you will find the California common scorpion in Pasadena, around Eaton Canyon. I find those in the hills of Burbank on very warm nights. One night, I saw about eight in a half mile radius. You will find solifugids at Griffith Park. Lots of trapdoor spiders, too. If you can drive to Griffith park and hike on a warm evening , you will find darklings, as well as diabolical ironclads . For such an urban park so close to Hollywood, there's a surprisingly large amount of natural life there.

 
People with experience will tell you it's perseverance, work, simple basic research.

Believe what you want but subjectivity isn't helpful here. Entomologists and amateurs alike have found all sorts of stuff where you are, that you claim aren't there.

Just because you can't find them doesn't mean they aren't right under your nose.

No creature can find safe refuge from me, I do what it takes.

Good luck hunting!

 
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