They have always fascinated me beyond belief – Issue #92

Hello Explorer,
This past weekend I have found yet another pet species to keep, one that is very well known throughout South Africa! Though these insects aren’t very well known by their English name, Two-Spotted Ground Beetles, but rather by their Afrikaans name, Oog-Pisters.
Two-spotted Ground Beetles are massive (40-50mm in length) shiny black beetles and they have two clear yellow spots on the thorax, with yellow lines on the margins of the elytra. The yellow spots on the elytra is where the beetle got its common English name from. These beetles are ferocious predators that will kill and consume any insect, reptile, or even small mammal that it can overpower. They also have massive mandibles that can cut through anything that the beetle would like to consume.

Determining the sex of a beetle is done by looking at the mandible. Males have enlarged asymmetrical mandibles, and the left mandible of the males are clearly more recurved than the right mandible. Males also tend to be larger than females.

These beetles have a very interesting and effective self defence mechanism. They are capable of spraying a stream of highly concentrated formic acid from the tip of their abdomen when they feel threatened. The beetle would aim for the threats face and eyes to deter the potential predator. I have experienced this when I collected these two. When I captured them, directly after they were safely in their containers, I felt my hands and arms burn as a result of their acid sprays. If the beetle manages to spray you in the eye, it may lead to temporary blindness if it is left untreated. Treatment is as simple as washing your eyes out with ample amounts of clean water.
Despite their effective self-defence mechanisms there are predators that would not turn and run when encountering a Two-Spotted Ground Beetle. Meerkats are known to make a quick meal of these beetles. They overcome the beetle’s self-defence by grabbing it and then sticking the tip of the abdomen into the sand, preventing an effective acid spray. The meerkat will then start to consume the beetle from the head while holding the tip of the abdomen in the sand.
These beetles have extremely good eyesight and get very jittery when they see any movement close to their enclosure. It will be very interesting to see if they start to associate me with food as time goes by. I will make sure to let you know if they do indeed associate my presence with food as time progresses.
Have you ever encountered a Two-Spotted Ground Beetle? What is the largest insect that you have ever encountered? Can you remember where and when you encountered it? What made that insect so memorable?

If you would like to send me a message with your answers, feel free to do so on Instagram or Twitter @abugmanslife or via email to [email protected].