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Gymnetis caseyi


klawfran3

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Hello all, I'm new to the forum and the hobby and recently picked up five L2-3 G. caseyi larvae. I have a basic idea on their care but have a few questions if anyone would be so kind as to answer them for me.

-How big to the larvae get? do they get as big as C. mutabilis larvae or are they a bit smaller?

-They should be kept relatively moist, but not soaking correct? and do I need to provide them with an extra source of water (eg. apple or potato?)

-how long does their pupal stage last?

-How quickly do they grow from hatching to imago?

 

Thank you and sorry if these seem to very basic questions, I just want to be sure I'm doing everything I can right.

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I've got a picture somewhere of my larvae shortly before they pupated, I'll see if I can find it so you can have an idea of the size. Mine pupated for a couple of weeks, although I'm not sure exactly how long it was since I wasn't checking on them too often. A month or less for pupation, I think.

 

The substrate should be moist but not wet. (Squeeze it in your hand and if it clumps a bit but doesn't drip, that's good.) You can give them apple or dog kibble as a supplement but the only thing I gave mine was the leaflitter mix from BIC and they did just fine.

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Found the pics. I'd say the larvae were about an inch, maybe a bit more. They'll make these pupal cells in the substrate, and then chew their way out and you'll find the beetle on the surface. It'll be a greenish black immediately after it emerges, but once it dries out in the air it will turn yellow.

 

post-8459-0-38525200-1485977294_thumb.jpg post-8459-0-22068000-1485977293_thumb.jpg

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Yep, basically just put them in suitable substrate and watch for the beetles to emerge! I didn't notice mine turning yellowish, but I wasn't checking on them too often and they seemed to stay in the middle of the container instead of roaming around the sides where I could see them. Those were the last photos I took before they pupated, probably about three or four weeks before they made the pupal cells.

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  • 2 months later...

Just got the first pupal cell today! It seems small but I guess that happens. Either way I'm still extremely excited and can't wait to start the breeding I've been meaning to do!

My plan with these is to try to create a strain of these beetles that's a distinctive color, either a deep orange or having tons of/almost no black on them. Well see if any of the adults have any distinctive colors and if not I'll raise up their young and check those. Hopefully I can get something cool out of them!

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