Brachypsectra fulva - Freaky Beetle larva (photos & video)

[Precarious]

Very odd looking larva of beetle found in the Southwestern United States.

I'm going to try to get footage of it eating...

From Wikipedia:

In a research study, larvae in captivity were offered spiders in the genus Metepeira. They made no effort to pounce on the spiders, but when one climbed on the back of the larva, it arched its tail and head, trapping the spider between the tail spine and the mandibles. The larva then devoured the spider, at the same time relaxing its tail. In another study, several spiders were released in the presence of a single larva and they were all later found congregated on its back. The researchers thought it possible that the larva released an allomone which attracted the spiders.

Anyone have any spider eggs or babies to donate to the cause?

 

[angelofdeathzz]

So effectively it's the Venus fly trap of the bug world, and now your trying to con us out of all our house spider babies.

 

[LLCoolJew]

How peculiar! Looks like a land flounder

Thanks for the video!

 

[Precarious]

How peculiar! Looks like a land flounder

Ha-ha! So true. I was thinking trilobite but land flounder is cuter.

 

[Termite48]

Henry, Henry, Henry, What are you going to see next. Just when I thought I saw it all, out of the bag comes the aptly labeled "land flounder" and it moves one centimeter per minute on a good day. Nice vid again. I will look to see if I have some black widow egg sacks around.

 

[Precarious]

Henry, Henry, Henry, What are you going to see next. Just when I thought I saw it all, out of the bag comes the aptly labeled "land flounder" and it moves one centimeter per minute on a good day. Nice vid again. I will look to see if I have some black widow egg sacks around.

Thanks but I'll pass on Black Widows.

I have a friend in CA collecting some eggs for me. I would LOVE to catch it eating on video. Now that would be a score!

To be honest, I've had the thing for 6 months and this is the first time I've actually seen it moving! That's why I broke out the camcorder. I find it in different locations from time to time, but it normally just plays dead when I'm looking. Made me think it may be hungry, though people have kept them for years without food. Just found out today baby spiders may be the way to go. Wish I'd known over the summer.

I can't take credit for finding it either. An online friend sent it. Thanks, Carol!

 

[twolfe]

How strange! I googled to see what the adult stage looks like. Since the larva is unlike anything I've ever seen, I expected the beetle to look strange, too. It looks rather average.

How big is it?

 

[Termite48]

OK Henry I will call of the search party. One of the people looking said he found a nice egg sack about 3/8" in diameter with hundred of babies of that ominous looking species of spider with the red hour glass gang sign on it's underside (just joking). I can see why you were interested in your slow moving larva, it is very captivating and ornate in it's morphology. Good luck with it.

 

[Peter Clausen]

Land Flounder...love it!

I've had one of these for maybe 18 months. I fed it a few times and set up the camera for video. Spiders and fruit flies would crawl all over it and I waited...and waited...and waited for some explosive capture response. Nothing! Though, I would find the prey dead at the bottom of the vial a few days later. It has probably been 8 months since I've fed it. It lives, still...very still.

I contacted your friend before my trip down there last week, but she never replied. I'd hoped to spend some time in the field with her. (Phil, if you see this, we never made it as far as Yuma this time.)

Is it just me, or does anybody else find it really difficult to place the P before the S in the genus? Odd on odd. I think I just want it to be spectral instead of sectral.

 

[Precarious]

Land Flounder...love it!

I've had one of these for maybe 18 months. I fed it a few times and set up the camera for video. Spiders and fruit flies would crawl all over it and I waited...and waited...and waited for some explosive capture response. Nothing! Though, I would find the prey dead at the bottom of the vial a few days later. It has probably been 8 months since I've fed it. It lives, still...very still.

I contacted your friend before my trip down there last week, but she never replied. I'd hoped to spend some time in the field with her.

I haven't heard from her in many months. Hope she's OK.

Thanks for the info! I don't know anyone else out there that could give me firsthand information on feeding. I'll do my best to catch it on video.

 

[Peter Clausen]

I had sort of suspected some chemical attractant the animal gave off to bring prey closer. They would crawl around on it more often than seemed reasonable, but the larva always failed to complete the capture while I was watching and was never seen to be holding or actively feeding on the prey. Great that you made a video of it actually moving, and I do consider you the only hope for ever seeing a video of the species in action. As it turns out, mine wasn't feigning death this time.