Identify this Beetle?! :)

[christinaland128]

I inherited three of these beetles today and my daughter's school gave me no info. (Thanks :/) I'm not sure what species he is. My daughter said a "best beetle" but I see no such thing. And the Teacher gave me a Coleus plant for it to eat.

 

[littleginsu]

Google says.. Common Black Ground Beetle...?

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/common_black_ground_beetle.htm

 

[christinaland128]

That's exactly what I thought too but I wonder why the Teacher said they eat PLANTS. (No wonder they were dying at school, lol)

 

[wellington]

I bet @N2TORTS Jeff would know. I wouldn't want him on my hand though. Looks to have pinches, Yes?

 

[christinaland128]

Actually NOo! They don't bite at all apparently. They were manhandled by a 3rd grade class and no reports of bites. I held them and they're quite adorable! They clean their antennas!

I just want to make sure I feed them properly.

 

[Lemonade]

Great, I've been seeing these in my yard. Apparently, they are competing with my turts for food.

 

[Len B]

They live in very moist areas, like rotting wood and impressed tortoise enclosures. Here is one walking along the bricks on the back wall of my impressed tortoise inclosure last week. They are harmless, I have always called them wood beetles because that is where I found them, under loose bark on dead trees laying on the ground especially. There is usually tunnels in the dead tree, so I thought they ate dead wood. They can be quite vocal, with a sound right out of a 1950's science fiction movie.

 

[christinaland128]

Yes I've got them in a small tank and they huddle around the forest floor bedding. They definitely like the wood chips. And yes they make a hiss sound it's neat. I didn't think they bit but one gave my daughters finger a nibble and she squealed, lol. Didn't hurt, just startled her.

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[Yvonne G]

Looks kind of like this one:

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/beetles/s_lyctus_beetle.htm