Book Review: Death Feigning Beetles of the United States and Mexico

I'm sure a lot of Death Feigning Beetle enthusiasts are familiar with Dean Rider, who was the first person that I know of to make the connection between high temperatures and successful pupation of Asbolus verrucosus (and other Cryptoglossini). Well Dean has finally compiled all his findings on Cryptoglossini rearing over the years, as well as descriptions of all currently described Cryptoglossini into a husbandry manual/field guide, "Death Feigning Beetles of the United States and Mexico"! 😁

Now this may be a bit of a biased review, as Dean asked to use a photo of mine in the book, and I am credited for the photo, specimens of A.mexicanus I sent him, as well as having this blog credited as well. Additionally Dean sent me a copy of the book for free for my small contribution, which was very generous of him! But rest assured, biases aside this book is fantastic! 😄

Personally I found the contents quite informative, not only describing and picturing Cryptoglossini species I didn't know existed, but also serving as a great repository for husbandry info regarding this tribe of darklings (info that can be hard to come by). I will definitely be taking some of this info and incorporating it into my own rearing methodology for this group, particularly the information regarding pupation. Rider outlines some clever ideas for bottom watering pupation cups, which I hadn't considered before (maintaining proper humidity levels inside pupation cups has definitely been the biggest hurdle for me in terms of rearing Cryptoglossini).

It also does a great job of explaining morphology of these beetles, as well as taxonomy in a way that's easy for beginners and laymen (such as myself) to absorb. Speaking of morphology, he also outlined ways to sex Cryptoglossini that I wasn't aware of, most significantly how to sex Cryptoglossa spp. (evidently males have small tubercles on their mesofemora that females lack).

Information on their wild habitats, showcasing general soil composition and the biomes that these beetles call home also provide a better perspective on how to set these species up for success in captivity.

Overall I find this book to be a great addition to any Tenebrionid enthusiast's collection (especially those interested in breeding Cryptoglossini), and really wish there were more books and resources like this dedicated to Tenebrionids. 😁

If you'd like a copy of the book yourself, you can buy it from Amazon here. I'd highly recommend picking up a copy, especially if you're keen in breeding Cryptoglossini. 

Anyways, that does it for this post, thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next time! 😉