Wanted: Desert Darkling beetles

[Rappo337]

Hey guys I'm looking for some darkling beetles of the desert variety for a new project I'm working on for my animal behavior class. I have a all the habitat essentials and everything like that picked out but when I looked online at prices for some of the beetle it just seemed like a bit of a rip off between the prices and the live arrival promises. I ordered death feigning beetles from one site and they were dead upon arrival ( like actually dead, not playing dead). Just figured I'd ask around on here to see if I could get some better luck. 

 

[Bugboy3092]

Do you plan on breeding and raising them? Or are they for display more than anything?

thats very interesting that BDFBs would arrive dead, unless the temperatures were extreme during shipping, or the beetles were dead/dying hen they were shipped out.

 

[Rappo337]

My goal is to breed them more then anything. I work at my University raising various insects, and  have access to multiple tanks to raise the animals in. I figure if I could get some cool desert species then I could breed them and have a bunch. And for display purposes I would have a tank of some of the cooler looking species to show off to various people walking by and to to spark people's interests in insects and entomology. 

 

[Rappo337]

Do you plan on breeding and raising them? Or are they for display more than anything?

thats very interesting that BDFBs would arrive dead, unless the temperatures were extreme during shipping, or the beetles were dead/dying hen they were shipped out.

My goal is to breed them more then anything. I work at my University raising various insects, and  have access to multiple tanks to raise the animals in. I figure if I could get some cool desert species then I could breed them and have a bunch. And for display purposes I would have a tank of some of the cooler looking species to show off to various people walking by and to to spark people's interests in insects and entomology. 

 

[Bugboy3092]

Well I do have some large eleodes that I can part with, although I don’t know their rearing difficulty but I don’t see why it would be different from other species

 

[Garin]

Just a heads up regarding the blue beetles, I hear they are very difficult to breed. Not impossible but only very experienced breeders have been able to do it. I know many that have tried and failed. Just wanted to let you know so you won't be disappointed in regards to the blues. Other darklings I think I'm more l likely to breed.