Keeping your darklings happy while tripping

[AlexW]

I managed to keep my Coniontis alive during a two-week winter trip elsewhere by dumping in a large amount of kale, but the animal was evidently not pleased with the vegetable sludge when I returned.

Unfortunately, due to important obligations I must have a 3-week trip soon! Any tips?

Restrictions:

1. darklings need high ventilation so I cannot just seal the lid

2. Unfortunately the only available substrate is paper

3. I lack beetle jelly

Tips?

 

[All About Arthropods]

Do you have any access to dead leaves? I hear that they're a favorite of that genus, so if you do, you could just throw in a few leaves and it should be good to go.

If not, I'd think some other long-lasting food should suffice such as carrot, but dog food also lasts very long in dry environments. Darklings obviously have barely any need for water as adults, so as long as you provide some sort of long-lasting food, there's no reason it shouldn't be fine upon your arrival.

 

[AlexW]

Yes, there is a dried hibiscus petal and a cereal flake in the cage. The dryness has allowed both to stay fresh

What really concerns me, however, is the water. Orin's book says that desert Eleodes paradoxically last only a day or two with no water (in nature dewdrops are abundant). Coniontis is very poorly studied, but since ecologically it's just a small round Eleodes I'm a bit concerned

 

[Bugboy3092]

You can tape over most of the holes in the lid/sides of the cage, as it allows some airflow and keeps in moisture (the blue tape you would buy at a game depot of hardware store, not plastic tape) or you can keep a vial filled with water, sealed off with cotton in there.

 

[All About Arthropods]

What really concerns me, however, is the water. Orin's book says that desert Eleodes paradoxically last only a day or two with no water (in nature dewdrops are abundant). Coniontis is very poorly studied, but since ecologically it's just a small round Eleodes I'm a bit concerned

Well, I have a display tank housing a few Asbolus and Eleodes and have periodically forgot about them for months without any desiccation. lol