In China in 1985 I had a praying mantis ootheca (piaoxiao) which didn't open when others did. Finally I cut into it and dozens of little black beetles poured out. Can anyone identify that beetle?
Some images of the specimens are necessary but not sufficient. It could be many things, there are several groups of beetles that colonize various substrates once dry, or dead, without being parasitoids.
Sorry, that was in 1985, no way to go back and take photos. I would appreciate anyone who has seen a similar event telling me one positive possibility for what I saw. These beetles were only 1-2 millimeters wide and rather round. That rules out Meloidae and Rhipiphoridae..They had finished off all traces of baby mantids.
Are you really sure that they were beetles, if it was in 1985 and you don't have pictures or specimens ?
it was very memorable, esp as i had never heard of any such thing happening to US mantids. maybe it will help to know this was in anhui province, hefei city.
aha. i found my notes from 1985. i had written it up as a composition for my chinese teacher. i plainly wrote "jiachong" - beetle.
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