The Death Feiging Beetle is distrubuted thoughout the Southwestern United States (native to the Sonoran Desert). The habitat in which they occupy is composed of moderately moist soil with sufficient decaying vegetation for which to consume.
The Death Feiging Beetle is distrubuted thoughout the Southwestern United States (native to the Sonoran Desert). The habitat in which they occupy is composed of moderately moist soil with sufficient decaying vegetation for which to consume.
The Blue Death Feigning Beetle is one of over 350,000 beetles assigned to the order Coleoptera (largest order of insects). The are distrubuted throughout desert regions in the Southwestern United States and are classified as opportunistic in terms of their diet. Blue Death Feigning Beetles are well-adapted to their environment with the capability of producing their own wax by which to cool themsleves off and will fake death to avoid predation (hence the name "death feigning").
The Blue Death Feigning Beetle has been documented living up to 8 years in captivity.
The Blue Death Feigning Beetle has some adaptations aiding them in their survival in the wild. The first of these is where their name is derived: when threatened, the Blue Death Feigning Beetle will fake death by falling over on its back with its legs straight up in the air. It is believed that the reasoning behind this is due to their predators lack of taste in consuming dead prey. After the beetle senses no present danger, it will turn itself over and proceed as normal.
Another unqiue adaptation the Blue Death Feigning Beetle possesses is its ability to cool itself off in the desert region. It will secrete a wax that covers its body acting as a protective shield against dehydration and overheating. The actual color of the Blue Death Feigning Beetle is black; the wax produces the blue coloring.
