Larva on Veratrum viride leaf

Moved

Moved from Beetles.

… Blaine Mathison, 19 November, 2015 - 7:24am

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

Guess I'll plop it in "beetles" for the time being. Too bad I wasn't around to try to raise this, but I have no idea what it would have wanted to eat anyway...

… Charley Eiseman, 18 November, 2015 - 7:31am

You can kinda tell by the mandibles...

It is most likely a predator.

… Hisserdude, 18 November, 2015 - 1:40pm

Yeah but on what?

Some predators are very specific so rearing it may not have been successful even if Charlie had been able to try. Also, what if it had taken years to develop? Some beetles take for-ev-er.

… Natalie Hernandez, 18 November, 2015 - 9:03pm

Yeah,

I highly doubt it would be easy to rear, though it kinda looks like it would accept aphids or maybe tiny mealworms, just a guess though. And yes, some larva take a really long time to mature. I have a Alaus melanops larva that I caught as a large larva in june 2014, and it still ain't mature!

… Hisserdude, 18 November, 2015 - 11:34pm

I prefer cats.

They seem to be the only thing I'm good at rearing. Probably because they can alert me when they're hungry or need water.

… Natalie Hernandez, 19 November, 2015 - 12:03am

Haha!

Yeah, they are pretty good at letting you know when they need food. My one sometimes will just sit in front of her food bowl and stare at it until I fill it up. :)

… Hisserdude, 19 November, 2015 - 12:11am

Interesting!

My first instinct is Staphylinidae or Carabidae, but I don't know of one with such long antennae and maxillary palpi. Perhaps a triungulin of some sort?

Most everyone in the department is away at the annual meetings right now, I'll ask around when they get back.

… Natalie Hernandez, 17 November, 2015 - 12:43pm

I agree...

It definitely seems to be one of those families, but I have no idea what exactly... I am very interested in what it turns out to be!

… Hisserdude, 17 November, 2015 - 10:45pm