Today we’re doing a deep dive to learn more about one of our most popular Bug Ambassadors, the blue death feigning beetles! We’ll learn all about how they got their name and how they’ve adapted to survive in their dry desert habitat.

Watch the Video HERE.

At-Home Activities
One of our most popular games here at the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium is one that gets kids and adults alike pretending to be blue death feigning beetles.

To play, one person stands on the side of the room or yard and plays the role of the spider. Everyone else crawls around on their hands and knees like a blue beetle. Every now and then the spider yells out “Watch out, here comes a SPIDER!” All the beetles need to quickly roll over and play dead, not moving a muscle. Beetles remain playing dead like this until the spider calls out “the coast is clear, the spider gave up.” The game can go back and forth like this for as long as you want it to!

If you have a lot of people or want to make it more competitive, any blue beetle players who move in any way while playing dead can be called “out” and removed from this round of the game. Once a beetle player has been removed, the coast is clear and the remaining beetles can crawl around again until another call of “SPIDER!” can be heard. The “last beetle standing” gets to be the spider in the next game.