MObugs

One of my favorite things to do in my spare time is to hang white sheets with black lights and mercury vapor lights pointed at them. I know most people try to avoid insects and would not purposely try to attract them to their yard and would absolutely find standing in a cloud of tiny insects to be offensive and not fun at all. For me, it is an opportunity to find new-to-me insects and photograph them and later research them. Yes, I am THAT nerd.

 Last night I hung the sheets and after dark I began checking them. It was not a hugely productive bug night, with one exception, the Fiery Searcher. This beetle is large and in charge. They are easily one of the most stunning beetles, plus their large size, 1 ½ inches, is sure to leave an impression. The striking iridescent green, gold, reddish-orange, blue, and purple are stunning, which explains why they are a favorite among insect collectors. They are found throughout the United States but are more prevalent east of the Rocky Mountains. In Missouri they are very common, but usually go unseen, mainly because they are nocturnal. While we are sleeping the night away these bad boys wake up and start the hunt. The common name Fiery Searcher is descriptive of their brilliant color and habit of running rapidly on the ground "searching” for their food of choice…. Caterpillars. Because they favor caterpillars in both the larval and adult stages, they have earned another common name of Caterpillar Hunter. Although classified as ground beetles, these are one of the few beetles in the family Carabidae that can easily and will readily climb trees and shrubs.

 

Having the adaptation to rapidly climb trees gives them easy access to their preferred caterpillars, which are Forest Tent Caterpillars, Gypsy Moth Caterpillars, Fall Webworms, as well as additional species of tree destroying munching caterpillars. Having this beetle in our gardens, woodlands or agricultural areas is very beneficial to us. However, this beetle is best observed and not handled. They have large mandibles that can give a nasty bite, in addition to that, they produce a foul-smelling oily substance that they will all too happily share with anyone who dares to handle them, believe me I know. I handled the one I captured last night, and my hands smelled funky for quite some time, even after multiple washings. Lesson learned, look, but don’t touch.  The odor is often described as smelling like rancid olive oil, soured milk or stinky cheese. It reminded me of a cross between skunk and strong cheese.  It is pungent! They are also incredibly difficult to catch in the first place. These impressive cheetahs of the beetle world run an incredible 0.36 MPH. That may not sound all that fast, but it is the equivalent of a six-foot-tall human running 17 MPH! Fast for a beetle!

 

 

 If you happen to spot one in your yard or on your farm, you and your natural areas are lucky. These active hunters scurry around all night terrorizing caterpillars that are feasting on your crops, and trees. Cheers to the Fiery Searcher!