D.grantii looks deformed.

[Dak.the.bug]

Hey folks. So I had a D.grantii emerge at some point while I wasnt home. It was on top of the substrate and seemed like it had difficulty moving. Its elytra and wings are crumpled, almost looks like someone pinched them together while they were soft. Is there any way he can still be viable for breeding? 

 

[JKim]

BEST environment for pupae are their own pupal cells. Next alternative is artificial pupal cell made for that particular specimen. Placing them on substrate won't help them, but may cause deformity upon emergence. He will be viable. The problem is, whether he can actually survive. If their wings couldn't fully eclosed properly, in worst scenario, a blister may occur, and eventually pop up, get infected, get killed..... As long as they survive, they will just live as is. Nothing you can do at this point, other than keep him in clean substrate, and have a full attention to it. If your beetle flip upside down, (other than a reason to dry himself on ventral side) make sure you flip him back. If it has deformed abdomen, issue might be on copulation...

 

[Dak.the.bug]

BEST environment for pupae are their own pupal cells. Next alternative is artificial pupal cell made for that particular specimen. Placing them on substrate won't help them, but may cause deformity upon emergence. He will be viable. The problem is, whether he can actually survive. If their wings couldn't fully eclosed properly, in worst scenario, a blister may occur, and eventually pop up, get infected, get killed..... As long as they survive, they will just live as is. Nothing you can do at this point, other than keep him in clean substrate, and have a full attention to it. If your beetle flip upside down, (other than a reason to dry himself on ventral side) make sure you flip him back. If it has deformed abdomen, issue might be on copulation...

Yeah. That's what I thought. This was a scenario where I did not know it had turned into a pupa until I emptied out the deli cup it was in and found it, I thought the fake pupal cell I had made was deep enough for it, but as it turns out it was not deep enough. It appears that he cannot close his wings at all due to the deformity, but from what I am seeing the wings are the only deformity he has. 

 

[JKim]

Yeah. That's what I thought. This was a scenario where I did not know it had turned into a pupa until I emptied out the deli cup it was in and found it, I thought the fake pupal cell I had made was deep enough for it, but as it turns out it was not deep enough. It appears that he cannot close his wings at all due to the deformity, but from what I am seeing the wings are the only deformity he has. 

When you said top of substrate, I thought you didn't make a pupal cell at all. Pupae flip themselves over with their spines on abdomen and on and near the genitalia stamp on bottom and wall of its pupal cell. So constructing "a hole" on substrate won't be a help for that. Always have some wet floral foam just in case. I keep three long blocks of wet floral foam in hand always to prepare such times finding pre-pupal staged larvae or pupa(e) without realizing it.

 

[Dak.the.bug]

When you said top of substrate, I thought you didn't make a pupal cell at all. Pupae flip themselves over with their spines on abdomen and on and near the genitalia stamp on bottom and wall of its pupal cell. So constructing "a hole" on substrate won't be a help for that. Always have some wet floral foam just in case. I keep three long blocks of wet floral foam in hand always to prepare such times finding pre-pupal staged larvae or pupa(e) without realizing it.

Oh yeah. No. I had just improperly worded how I found the beetle. I had dug a hole and tried to make sure the substrate around it was compact, and then placed the pupa in the hole standing upright like I had seen in the pictures. When I came home he had emerged, but he was on his back with his elytra crinkled. Unfortunately I think this has led to his demise as he cannot seem to right himself if he gets into a situation where he flips onto his back. 

I will have to start keeping some floral foam on hand as well. How deep do you make the fake pupal cells in the foam? Do you use just one piece of foam for this?