A visitor in our garden. This is a Blue Death-Feigning Beetle. They are a harmless desert dwelling species of darkling. Unlike their cousins Pinacate Beetles (stink beetle, clown beetle, etc.) These guys do not spray a foul bad tasting liquid, their method of defense is to play dead. When handled or surprised, they go limp. Sometimes for a long time! They commit to the act! They eat plant matter, fruit, detritus, and occasionally carrion. The blue color, is actually a waxy secretion used stop water loss. If you were to get one wet, it would wash away and you would find a black beetle! But soon enough, they would be blue again. One of ours @circadiancrunch keeps them as pets and is doing her best to breed them along with other concerned hobbyists trying to mitigate wild collection. #bluedeathfeigningbeetle #mojavedesert #mojavewildlife #scribblesgarden #garden #rockery #nativewildlife #desertdarkling #darklingbeetle #asbolusverrucosus #gardenfriends #harmless #creepycrawly #bug #beetle #insect #entomology #wildbug #educatedonteradicate (at Scribbles Art Collective) https://www.instagram.com/p/ChDb0KpPytP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
