Peltotrupes profundus - Florida Deepdigger Scarab

Greatwun

Greatwun

Chalcosoma
While hiking in Sanford, FL I came across these two beetle about 30 feet from each other. They are about the size of a quarter and have a very nice metallic blue color. Peltotrupes profundus,or Florida Deepdigger Scarab, are active in January in Florida and can dig burrows up to 10 feet underground! I have never found this species before. They are very active and fast compared to other scarabs I have found. It also seems I caught a pair because when I put them together they started mating right away. The place I found them in had these little sand mounds everywhere. I though they were ant mounds but when I researched this species it seems they make these sand mounds just like the ones I saw.

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Nice species!
Are you planning to keep them? I presume they need some sort of dung for the development of the larvae, but I am not sure which type of dung Geotrupidae prefer (I think I read somewhere that they bury dung of small mammal predators like foxes).

 
Thanks Wizentrop, I only kept two specimens for pinning and probably won't collect anymore since I don't know much about their care nor do I want to collect dung for them lol.

 
They seem to be endemic to FL. They are not found often but when they are they can be found in great numbers. Lots of sand mounds are a sign they are present.

 
If you're ever down in Sanford go to the Wekiva River hiking areas. When the habitat starts to get dry and sandy you'll start to see their sand mounds everywhere.

 
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