Family Tenebrionidae Order Beetle | Genus Asbolus Rank Species | |
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Similar Beetle, Zopherinae, Pimeliinae, Pyrophorus noctilucus, Pinacate beetle | ||
Asbolus verrucosus, also known as the desert ironclad beetle or blue death feigning beetle, is a species of darkling beetle native to the deserts of the Southwestern United States, mainly the Sonoran desert. This beetle has been known to feign death when threatened. They are increasingly becoming popular in the pet trade, due to their ease of care, hardiness, and longevity.
Contents
Unboxing asbolus verrucosus from bugsincyberspace
Description
The blue feigning death beetle grows around 18–21 mm (0.71–0.83 in) from head to abdomen. The powdery blue hue coloring the beetles is due to a wax secreted throughout their bodies that keeps them from losing moisture. Males are a tad bit smaller than females.
Captivity
Even though the majority of captive beetles are wild-caught, blue death feigning beetles suit very well in captivity, being common and even popular in zoos and insectariums. These insects are becoming increasingly popular as pets. They require little to no additional heat or humidity, and only require dry sand as substrate as well as something to hide in. They cannot climb on smooth surfaces (plastic or glass). No water dish is required, and they can be fed foods such as apples, carrots, dog and cat foods, and etc. Crickets or mealworms that have recently died can be given on occasion. Blue death feigning beetles have been successfully kept with Desert hairy scorpions.
