Does anyone helps me to catch wild Dynastes granti in Arizona?

M

Megasovania

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Hi, I'm Japanese and live in Vancouver now.

I have plans to go to Arizona to catch Dynastes granti during the end of July and beginning of August. I just know Dynastes granti lives in Arizona but I can't know about it more than that.

So, can anyone give me more information on Dynastes granti or help me collect it?

 
Timing is very important. If you go too early or too late, you won't see any at all. If you go at the right time, at the right place and it's a good season, you could see 50 or more in a night. The best that I have experienced is the last week of August and 1st week of September in Payson, AZ. Payson is a pretty well known area for D grantii. Of course, each year is different and sometimes it comes a little early or late but I have consistently seen them during that time period. Other collectors may have different opinions on this time period.

I think if you go end of July, early August, it will be difficult. You may see one but your odds are low. However, that is an excellent time for other beetles in Arizona.

Where do you plan on going? Are you going to bring light equipment or do you plan to check out gas station lights, etc?

Good luck! Arizona is an awesome place to collect. The diversity is amazing.

 
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Hay Garin.

Thanks for providing very detailed information. After I listen to you and change my plans to stay in PAYSON for a few days in the first week of September. I can't provide any specific equipment, but I would like to forage around the petrol stations. If you have any more information about D granti in Payson, I would be grateful if you could share it with me.

 
Anywhere you see bright lights, drive by and check it out. It's better when the moon is small or has not risen yet, so check the moon phases for that time period. Also, and I know this is hard to know but the warmer the night the better. So if have some flexibility, check the weather forecast and choose the warmest day of the week. If it rains, it won't be good, so try to avoid a rainy night.

A few known good spots are the Home Depot and the gas station next to Home Depot. There is a circle K in Star Valley that can be good , so definitely check that out as well.

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Would like to mention that the Payson Home Depot and the Circle K have since changed out their parking lot lights to LED lights.I went out 2 Years ago at the end of August/ first week of Sept. and only found 1 D. granti. Ran into a few other collectors that were having a tough time also. I would suggest bringing your own light setup for better luck.

 
Thanks for the update. I did not know that. Yes, always better to use your own Mercury Vapor or Metal Halide lights with a generator but I got the impression that he did not have that equipment. I do know collectors who did well with D grantii last  year at some public lights. I'm not sure where. 2020 was a horrible year imo. I actually did really poor for D grantii at my lights. I have been going for the last 10 years and it was by far the worse year. I did not go last year (2021).

 
Hello, I have the exact dates for my stay in Payson from 27 Aug to 2 Sep. From what you both have told me, it seems difficult to find D.granti. So, are there any shops where I can rent such lights in Phoenix or Payson? If there is, I would like to use the equipment to find it.

 
I don't know of any shops that rent stuff like that. I would drive around and check out as many lights as you can. Go to Star Valley, Payson and you can even drive past Payson to Strawberry. There is gas stations between them and in Strawberry there are some building with lights that I know people have found D grantii. I just talked to a collector last week that went to Payson last year and got some D grantii by going to lights, he did not have his own lights. So it is still doable. Just like a lot of other species, a lot depends if it's a good year or a really bad year. I know in 2020, it was horrible and all the reports from other collectors I heard were bad as well. And this was using their own lights. If it's a good year, I'm sure you will find some. But there is always a risk. No guarantees when it comes to insects, unfortunately.

 
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Let us know how it goes. Good luck and enjoy your adventure! You should also see Chrysina gloriosa and plenty of Xyloryctes thestalus and if lucky some stag beetles.

 
How did things go? I hope you found some D grantii. I see a report that someone just got a few at the Home Depot last night and they have been out for the last two weeks. So hoping that you at least found a few.

 
I forgot to ask. Did you guys find that the lights at Payson were LED's but yet still attracted beetles or were you able to find a few lights that still used Mercury Vapor? I have used black light LEDs and they did attract insects. Maybe not as much as fluorescent black lights but pretty good. I was surprised.

 
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