Meet The Live Bugs at Camp!
We feature 20 to 30 different species of arthropods, below are a few of our bug friends
Common Name: Brazilian Pink Salmon
Scientific Name: Lasiodora parahybana
Personal Name: Athena
Where: Brazil
Athena came to us as a very small sling. She is a really greater eater and is growing up very well.
Common Name: False Widow
Scientific Name: Steatoda grossa
Despite looking similar to the iconic and dangerous black widow spider, false widows are considered relatively harmless. While False widows do have a venomous bite, the venom will most likely only cause slight pain around the bite site, with the pain being no worse than that of a wasp sting. False widows in general are quite aloof and very unlikely to bite humans.
Common Name: Western Black Widow
Scientific Name: Latrodectus hesperus
Where: Western United States, especially in the southwestern states. Highly venomous, one of the most well-known spiders. They make messy tangled web with their "comb" feet. Their web is very effective at catching unsuspecting prey.
Common Name: Honeypot ants
Scientific Name: Myrmecosystus navajo
•Facts: Several species found throughout the Southwest
•Diet: honeydew, scavengers
•Behavior: individuals in the colony serve as honey repletes to store food for the rest of the colony
Common Name: Mexican Red-Rump
Scientific Name: Tliltocatl vagans
Personal Name: Grunona (Grumpy)
Where: Yucatan down into Central America
Grunona is our largest tarantula and although she seems grumpy all of the time, she is very sweet, she just does not like to be bothered.
Common Name: Emperor Scorpion
Scientific Name: Pandinus imperator
Where?: West Africa
These scorpions are found in rainforests and savannas and can live for 6 to 8 years. They are one of the largest scorpion species in the world, averaging 20 centimeters in length. The emperor scorpion is actually relatively docile and has a mostly harmless sting to humans. They will burrow under the dirt and rocks and area often found hiding in termite mounds throughout their habitat.
Common Name: Ironclad beetle
Scientific Name: Asbolus verrucosus
Personal Names: Mary and Barry
They live in very hot parts of this North American deserts. They are scavengers and very sweet.
Common Name: Dune Scorpion
Scientific Name: Smeringurus mesaensis
The Dune scorpion lives in western US deserts where it can reach very high densities of 1,000s of individuals in an area the size of an average backyard. They are more venomous than the more common taxa, not not nearly as venomous as bark scorpions. Their sting is as painful as a hornet sting.
Common Name: Indian Stick Bug
Scientific Name: Carasius morosus
Where?: Throughout tropical and subtropical regions, predominantly Southern Asia and South America.
The Indian Stick Insect is probably the best pet walking stick. They are robust, large, tropical, stick insects originating from the Palmi Hills of Tamil Nadu, in Southern India. They are very popular in Europe, where they are legal to keep, and are frequently seen in European classrooms. In the United States, you need to get a permit from the USDA in order to keep them, because this species can be a potential pest species. The Indian Stick Insect only lives from 6 months to 1 year on average, but it is asexual with adults laying up to 3 eggs a day, so it makes up for it's short life. Males of this species are extremely rare, but they do exist. The Indian Stick Insect is the hardiest out of all the walking sticks, making it a great captive stick insect!
Common Name: Stripe-tailed ("devil") scorpion
Scientific Name: Paravaejovis spinigerus
Where?: Arizona and Southwestern New Mexico
Often confused with the more venomous Arizona bark scorpion, the Devil scorpion can be easily found in desert chaparral and mountainous desert landscapes. Unlike their desert counterparts, these scorpions venom is not considered a threat to humans but can still deliver a solid sting! All scorpions have a compound in their exoskeleton that glows under blacklight.
Common Name: Mexican Red Knee
Scientific Name: Brachypelma smithi
Personal Name: RubyToo
Where?: Mexico
RubyToo replaced our long time pet Ruby. Mexican Red Knee tarantulas are widely known as one of the best tarantulas to have as pets. This is due to their calm demeanor, hardy nature, and their likelihood to live their entire life spans - which is up to 30 years for a female Mexican Red Knee! These spiders' primary mode of defense is its urticating hairs that cover its body which can cause irritation when “flicked” from the spider.
Common Name: Brazilian Giant Blonde
Scientific Name: Nhandu tripepii
Personal Name: Linda
Where?: Brazil
Linda stays underground in her retreat tubes during the day but she will come to the surface when she is hungry for a cricket. In this picture she is waiting for a treat. The Brazilian Giant Blonde is a large terrestrial tarantula with long pinkish hairs all over its body, giving it an overall pink appearance. These tarantula’s are generally known for being rather docile, the Brazilian Giant Blonde are considered gentle giants.
Common Name: Greenbottle Blue
Scientific Name: Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens
Personal Names: Koshka and Maria
Where?: Northern Coast of Venezuela
We have two of these beautiful tarantulas; Koshka likes to hang out on the surface and Maria loves her retreat burrows. The Greenbottle Blue tarantula has a docile demeanor but they are fast. The tarantula’s metallic blue legs and orange abdomen make it incredibly visually striking and highly sought after, as possible pets. They have a tendency to make large funnel webs whether in captivity or the wild.
Common Name: Darkling Beetle
Scientific Name: Tenebrionidae (family)
Darkling Beetles are common insects in Arizona and there are thousands of species but most are black, they just differe in size and shape. Like the name, they love to hang out in dark places! They are omnivores, and scavengers too - so they enjoy things like other dead insects, fresh and rotting plants & leaves, and fungi. In some species of Darkling Beetle the larva are called mealworms and superworms. These mealworms/superworms are very common as food for pet reptiles, birds, and fish - so you might have dealt with some of these beetles already, just in their baby form!
Darkling beetles are sometimes called “Stink bugs” because many put their hind end in the air and emit a strong chemical that deters predators. While they do have wings, Darkling beetles do not fly, and they can extract water from their food so they can long periods with a water source.
Common Name: Dubia Roach
Scientific Name: Blaptica dubia
Where?: Central and South America
Dubia Roaches, unlike other roaches, cannot climb or fly, making them a great pet/feeder option. As long as they are in a smooth sided glass or plastic enclosure, the Dubia Roaches cannot escape. They are easy to care for, only requiring a consistent moisture source, a full diet, and plenty of hiding spaces.
Common Name:Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
Scientific Name: Gromphadorhina portentosa
Where?: Madagascar
These cockroaches are one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 2 to 3 inches at maturity. They are native to the island of Madagascar, where they are can be found inside of rotting logs. It is one of 20 known species of hissing roaches from Madagascar. Unlike most cockroaches, they are wingless and are excellent climbers. Males can be distinguished from females by their thicker, hairier antennae and the very pronounced "horns" on the pronotum
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Common Name: Pacific Hermit Crab
Scientific Name: Coenobita compressus
Where?: Northwestern South America
There are scores of hermit crab species, we have one of the two species that are common in the pet trade. They are omnivorous, communal, and very curious!
Common Name: California Warrior Beetle
Scientific Name: Pasimachus californicus
Where?: Southwest United States
Like most carabid ground beetles the California Warrior Beetle is a nocturnal predator feeding a variety of ground-dwelling arthropods.