| Archive for scabies.myfreeforum.org Southern California Arachnid, Bug, Invertebrate, Entomological Society |
| noexcuse4you |
Crazy looking beetle.Anyone know the relationship between this beetle and ants? The ants seemed to be hanging out with the beetle.
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| Celeste |
That's an Ironclad Beetle (Phloeodes pustulosus), but I don't know what their relationship with ants might be.
http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/coleopt/PhloeodesP.htm -- Celeste |
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| cacoseraph |
i just caught a diabolical iron clad (i think). i thought they ate fungus or lichen or something but read they can do ok on apples... so i put him in my cricket colony for a while until i get a setup for iron clad's going. | ||||
| Celeste |
Yes, the guidebook says they eat fungus. Not sure whether that's *all* they eat, or if they eat other things as well.
Maybe that's the connection with the ants, since I think ants like to eat fungus as well, and some ants even cultivate fungus... -- Celeste |
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| cacoseraph |
i am thinking i might have to try to culture some varieties of fungus that i find on oak trees. of course, i willprobably end up culturing 23 *other* types of molds and what not... but hopefully i can get at least one that they can staple off of
these dudes have always fascinated me we called them rock bugs before we knew what they were... these things are DOUBLE tough! the only bug i have found that will eat them is native black widow (L. hesperus)... they give 'em a kiss on a knee or antenna joint... pretty much everywhere else is impervious! even my old big giant african Sphrodomantis couldn't figure out the iron clad and got sick of trying and gave up! and that was a little war machine! |
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| Habibi18 |
Leaf cutter ants grow their own fungus. And there are alot of insects that live with ants too. The caterpillars of Lycaenid butterflies practically grow up in ants nests. So I wouldn't be surprised if Ironclad beetles had some sort of relationship with ants. 
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| ftorres |
Hello all,
Iron clad beetles don't go inside ant nest, they trive in trees between the bark and the core, dead trees on the ground is their favorite place,since they find lots of fungus growing inside ans outside the dead log. regards. francisco |
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| What |
I know of an area with tons of ironclad beetles... Im not sure I saw much fungus but I can go out and see if there is any where I find them. Interested? |
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| Habibi18 |
Francisco, that's interesting. But surely they would have to run into ants where they are found even though you say they don't have any sort of relationship with them.
Interesting. Are there any in America?
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| cacoseraph |
yes.... but dont' go to trouble on my account. i should be able to pop on up to the hills by my dad's house this weekend and score some fungusy wood. plus... ironclad culturing is sort of far down on my list. idk why i took this one... mainly cuz i thought it would be able to do ok on just apple |
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| What |
I need to go out there for some wood mulch kinda stuff anyway so if there is fungi by the beetles I find it will have your name on it. | ||||
| cacoseraph |
cool
i got a jumper for you/pulk. it is from MS and has an eggsac now. made eggsac er... ~1.5 wks ago it has RED chelicerae. or blue. red or blue... one of them. red i think. and is is freakin HUGE! easily 3/4" BL |
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| Pulk |
sounds cool! i don't want the eggsac, but if you're sure you don't want the female i'll take it. 
(i don't think what will be very interested) |
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| NBond1986 |
Those leafcutter ants don't live here though. |
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| Habibi18 |
Ok so that explains that. 
WHAT?!  Pictures please!
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| What |
Why are you yelling for me? I dont have the freaking spider... |
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| josh_r |
i dont think habibi was refering to you. i think it was more of a disbelief...WHAT?? or EH??? or NO WAY?? prove it! ::lol::. | ||||
| Habibi18 |
That's what I meant. And who has the spider then?
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| Pulk |
i dont think what was offended at it. i think it was more of a joke... ::lol::. |
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| Pulk |
i'll divert this thread even further with a jumper with blue chelicerae:
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| Celeste |
(All together now:)
AAAAAWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! What a *cute* spider!!! (Jumping spiders are my favorites). -- C |
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| Habibi18 |
*Says it and agrees*
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| NBond1986 |
it's a bluefang!!!! |
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| Pulk |
back to ironclads
They are physically very interesting... like pebbles. I have 17 cohabiting right now; I think I saw a few eating the lichen in there. the size variation is cool too- http://i229.photobucket.com/album...Pulk/2463006128_168fc9f560_b1.jpg |
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| BugMom |
I'm keeping some ironclads too. I feed them mushrooms and oatmeal. I also put apple, carrot or squash in there, but I think that's for moisture. At least I've never seen them actually eat it. That's what the guy at the bug fair told me to do and they've been with me for a year now. Must be somewhat right. | ||||
| Habibi18 |
I've never kept one but I've read about them and they're very interesting beetles indeed. Keep us posted. And I'm loving the little additions you've added to the forum. So cute!
Love you guys! Sorry for my absence but I've been through way to much lately and right now as I type this. So accuse any "dissapearences".
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| Pulk |
what kinds of mushrooms have you seen them eat? | ||||
| Habibi18 |
I don't recall but I will check in my books. And I love this layout too! I love this shade of blue it's so pretty.
Ok back on topic: Ironclad Beetles.
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| Pulk |
whoops, i missed your post habibi
i was asking bugmom
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| Habibi18 |
Oh ok. It happens.
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| BugMom |
Just regular buttom mushrooms. I use organic because I'm super paranoid. They just nibble at that though, I think they prefer the oatmeal (again organic) just plain oatmeal. I see them pick up the individual oats and just munch it.
I was wondering if anyone had bred these? Sometimes I see mine "humping", but nothing ever came of it. I honestly don't even know how to tell the boys from the girls! |
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| Habibi18 |
Neither do I but we must find out how so we know who's the mom to be and the dad to be if anything comes from their "humping."
You know that I've seen daddy long legs ( Harvestman ) walk along the wooden rails of the step and the ones to the fences and stop and do sort of a push up movement. Does any one know why they do that?
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| Pulk |
cool, i will try that sometime.
same here, i haven't found any eggs anywhere. the boys are the ones on top with the twiggy thing protruding from the abdomen 
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| BugMom |
 Oh My!
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| noexcuse4you |
::lol::, what the heck did you guys do to my thread? | ||||