while field herping.....

[ThamnophisManiac]

well first and foremost, i took a slate shingle out to a field and propped it up on a small rock. think snakes might sunbathe on it??? anyways...to the point. on the way back to my house from the field, i noticed 2 beetles. they were on a flower mating and i IDed them as japanes beetles. i plucked the flower and took it back to my garage where i could observe them more. the male was just kinda strattling the female and she would just walk around the flower carrying him. eventually she tensed up, and lifter herslef high up with her legs. she then kept walking but left about a 3mm long trail of what i belive to be eggs. i hope that i can keep them in a jar maybe and watch them grow into adult japanese beetles. also, a moment of silence for the male who died soonly after the eggs were laid.......................:( .....anyways it was just kinda kewl observing them. PS-i tihnk that bugs are attracted to me while there mating. like once, when i was younger, i saw 2 dragonflies mating, actually 4 different pairs of dragon flies mating, all in the matter of a day. lol:D

[enigma200316]

Beetle Porn....man thats sick......hahahahaha!!!!!!!

[ThamnophisManiac]

eh errrr....im not sick:confused:...er...eh....scientific observation???;) lolz

[Stefan-A]

He's just teasing. :)

I agree, it's just a scientific observation. I have a few pictures of insect porn myself. :p

[ThamnophisManiac]

hahaha lolz

[stonyloam]

Hay T.M.: Frade that won’t work with the beetles. The Japanese beetle lays its eggs in ground and they turn into grubs, so they won’t survive in the jar. I do have a couple of cool little projects you could try. Stay tuned…..:confused:

[stonyloam]

OK am back: Two really cool projects, especially for a kid (like me).

Keep an ant lion for a pet: These are really slick little animals and make pretty good pets. Order Myrmeleontidae.they are the larva of a crainfly (I think). They are sometimes called doodlebugs. Anyway they can be found in open sandy areas, just look for a small round cone shaped pit (3/4 to 1 inch across) in the ground, and very carefully dig up the small (very ugly) animal at the bottom. Take it home and transfer it to a small bowl (a margarine tub works fine) of fine sand. Just drop it on top and watch it burrow. To feed it just drop in an ant. There is info on the internet.

Make a house for solitary bees and wasps: Pretty easy, just take a hunk of (not pressure treated) wood like the end of a 2x4 and drill a bunch of holes in it. Drill lots of different size holes from 1/16 to about 3/8 inch. Set it outside in a sheltered place and watch it. Lots of cool little bees and wasps will come looking for a home. Some of the wasps are predatory and will bring in spiders to feed the young, watched a little black wasp bring a bunch of spiders into a hole in a folding chair one afternoon. Always exactly the same kind of little yellow spider. Anyway something to do on a lazy summer day, think I’ll go down and drill some holes.:D

[Lee]

Seems like your having fun ! Ant lions are fun little insects. I had one for awhile in a jar the size of a film canister, feeding it ants now and again it did very well.. I've never had solitary wasps but I've kept a colony of paper wasps, while they scare me in the fact I don't want to get stung (I never have been stung) they are pretty interesting little creatures to watch. Good luck!

[ssssnakeluvr]

ant lions don't grow up to be crane flies...crane flies look like giant mosquitos. not sure what they are called as adults, but look similar to damselflies...small dragonfly looking bugs.

[stonyloam]

You are right, I think the adults are lacewings. They kinda look like a damselfly.:confused:

[ssssnakeluvr]

well....lacewings are little green bugs with lacy wings...and eat aphids...and stink if you pick them up...

[stonyloam]

They sure do, used to catch them just for that reason. “The adult antlion belongs to the order Neuroptera, which includes dobsonflies and lacewings, is the most primitive order of insects with complete metamorphosis”. Credit that to Mark Swanson at the antlionpit.com. I guess it most likely would grow up to be a dobsonfly. You can sometimes find them under the porch light at night.

[adamanteus]

well....lacewings are little green bugs with lacy wings...and eat aphids...and stink if you pick them up...

I never knew that! Stink of what?

[stonyloam]

Don't know, but they do! It's been about 40 years since I tried it, but do remember they smell. I assume that it is some form of defense mechanism. Now I may have to go out and try it again.:eek:

[ssssnakeluvr]

not sure what the smell is, but it's probably a defense mechanism...I know I wouildn't eat anything that smelled like that!!!! :eek:

[adamanteus]

Next time I see one, I'm going to sniff it! I've never noticed it before......something to look forward to!:D

[stonyloam]

James: I think you have to squeeze it just a tiny bit (not enough to hurt it) to get the desired results. Ummmmmm! I'm not sure I'd tell a lot of people you are going around sniffing bugs, they may think that is kind of strange, even in the UK.:D

[adamanteus]

In the UK it would be considered eccentric behaviour...and therefore acceptable!:rolleyes: :D

[Sputnik]

I loved them when I was a child. Used to call them "Goldaugenprinzessin" - "golden eyed princess". Can't say I ever noticed them smelling though. :)

[adamanteus]

Slightly off topic....anyone ever noticed that earthworms (especially in large quantities) smell like chocolate?

[ssssnakeluvr]

hmmmmmm.....what kind of chocolate are you eating??? LOL!!!!:eek: :D

[Elliot]

Slightly off topic....anyone ever noticed that earthworms (especially in large quantities) smell like chocolate?

Riiiight lol

[Stefan-A]

Slightly off topic....anyone ever noticed that earthworms (especially in large quantities) smell like chocolate?
Nope. :D

Maybe it's chocolate that smells like large quantities of earthworms..? ;) :D

[Lulu Bennett]

Slightly off topic....anyone ever noticed that earthworms (especially in large quantities) smell like chocolate?

think you might need to take a trip to the docs lol. to be totally honest i have never noticed and dont really like to find out because i kinda like chock and dont want to be put off.

[adamanteus]

Guess I should use a different confectioners from now on!:o Or maybe a touch of rhinoplasty would sort me out.

[Lulu Bennett]

possibly but im not to sure there is any help for you :D

[adamanteus]

Seriously, have a sniff next time. You have to rinse the soil off first, but the scent is there.

[Lulu Bennett]

no, erm..seriously, i think i'll skip! :D

[drache]

I'll take a whiff next time I take out worms
I'm into the olfactory thing
ever read "Perfume"?