LF Megasoma sleeperi
- Thread starter bmb1bee
- Start date
DynastesDee
Tenebrio
The problem with Megasoma sleeperi and Megasoma punctulatus is that their genetics go bad after the third generation in captivity. I was talking online with a few people that have kept them in captivity and they were having these genetic issues with Megasoma punctulatus and Megasoma sleeperi. I noticed that someone was also keeping Megasoma vogti and had none of these issues while breeding them. The problem with Megasoma vogti is that nobody in the US knows how to properly care for them and when they do, they are automatically sent to Japan. Even the Japanese beetle breeders that have resurrected the rainbow stag beetle could not do the same with Megasoma punctulatus.
to my knowledge i dont think that sleeperi or punctulatm has been sent over to japan yet. i talked to someone i know about sleeperi and punctulatm but it seems like he is able to breed them and get 80-100 larvae but the larvae all of a sudden die after reaching l3. but i cant say too much since i never tried keeping them myself tho. who is the person who has raised the punctulatm/sleeperi before? from my knowledge the only obtainable larvae are WF1 as nobody can keep them alive past l3 and wild adults. if there is anyone that can find wild adults for either punctulatm or sleeperi pls lmk ill pay goody monee
That is interesting. I have bred M sleeperi for a few generations and eventually lost the colony but I always felt it was due to my lack of care because I started to lose interest and started using very old flake soil because I didn't have time to make new flake soil. The flake soil was over 2 years old and very decomposed.
In the few generations I did successfully breed them, they were easy. I would say I got about 90% of the eggs to make it to adult. However, I have heard from many breeders that did have the issue of the larvae dying off before reaching the pupa stage. I'm not really sure why that happened. My guess is that the larvae must be sensitive to the type of flake soil that is used. I was lucky and I guess the way I prepared my flake soil they liked it. Until it got old.
Also a note, the first year I bred M sleeperi, I did not use flake soil because I was new to breeding and didn't have access to flake soil. So I took decomposing Palos Verdes logs I found in the desert where I caught them and Oak Leaf mold and they thrived on that and 90% became large adults.
So it appears there could be two issues. Sensitive to the type of flake soil used and possibly a genetic issue if you continue to breed them with no new blood lines. These are just guesses and I don't know. Sometimes I think about trying to breed them again and be more observant of what type of flake soil I use and how many pure bred generations I can get. But I don't much breeding anymore and of course, it would take many years to see how many generations I get.
The one big positive with M sleeperi is that they are super easy to mate and get eggs. I would simply put a male and female in a one gallon tupperware with flake soil or oak leaf mold and then in about 3 weeks, I would see many white eggs on the bottom. A month after that, I would get about 30 L1 per female and I would just leave them in there until L3 and then leave about 10 per container until adult and then start over again.
In the few generations I did successfully breed them, they were easy. I would say I got about 90% of the eggs to make it to adult. However, I have heard from many breeders that did have the issue of the larvae dying off before reaching the pupa stage. I'm not really sure why that happened. My guess is that the larvae must be sensitive to the type of flake soil that is used. I was lucky and I guess the way I prepared my flake soil they liked it. Until it got old.
Also a note, the first year I bred M sleeperi, I did not use flake soil because I was new to breeding and didn't have access to flake soil. So I took decomposing Palos Verdes logs I found in the desert where I caught them and Oak Leaf mold and they thrived on that and 90% became large adults.
So it appears there could be two issues. Sensitive to the type of flake soil used and possibly a genetic issue if you continue to breed them with no new blood lines. These are just guesses and I don't know. Sometimes I think about trying to breed them again and be more observant of what type of flake soil I use and how many pure bred generations I can get. But I don't much breeding anymore and of course, it would take many years to see how many generations I get.
The one big positive with M sleeperi is that they are super easy to mate and get eggs. I would simply put a male and female in a one gallon tupperware with flake soil or oak leaf mold and then in about 3 weeks, I would see many white eggs on the bottom. A month after that, I would get about 30 L1 per female and I would just leave them in there until L3 and then leave about 10 per container until adult and then start over again.
Just a note on why M sleeperi is not that available. The beetles are not super rare but not that easy to find. The locations are very remote and your timing has to be almost perfect. There are years I have gone out 4 or 5 times in spots I have collected them before and got nothing. Just depends on the year and weather that year, etc. I know many collectors that have struck out many times and that gets frustrating. It's a long drive to get nothing. When you do get them, it's really rare that you get more than 2 or 3. So it's not like you are going to hit it perfect and get 10. This is my experience and have talked to many other collectors and it's similar. However, there could be someone out there who has a great spot and gets them easily, I don't know.
M punctulatum is much, much easier to get. If I went this year to try to get them, I would say I had a 90% chance of getting them. The only issue with Mp is that the females are much more difficult to get in numbers than the females. You could easily find 50 plus males on a decent night and get one female. However, in all my years of going out for Mp, it's very rare I come up empty. Also, the locations for Mp are not remote like M sleeperi. Many spots 10 minutes from a town. The only spots I know of for M sleeperi are many miles from a city and not easy to get to.
Anyway, I think some of these reasons is why they are not that available. They are not rare but just not that easy.
I have no experience at all with M vogti but the collectors that I know who have collected them tell me that the locations can be difficult because they are often on private land and you would need permission from someone to collect there. You need to go after a summer rain, so timing is key as well. So for those outside area, you can't really plan a trip in advance.
M punctulatum is much, much easier to get. If I went this year to try to get them, I would say I had a 90% chance of getting them. The only issue with Mp is that the females are much more difficult to get in numbers than the females. You could easily find 50 plus males on a decent night and get one female. However, in all my years of going out for Mp, it's very rare I come up empty. Also, the locations for Mp are not remote like M sleeperi. Many spots 10 minutes from a town. The only spots I know of for M sleeperi are many miles from a city and not easy to get to.
Anyway, I think some of these reasons is why they are not that available. They are not rare but just not that easy.
I have no experience at all with M vogti but the collectors that I know who have collected them tell me that the locations can be difficult because they are often on private land and you would need permission from someone to collect there. You need to go after a summer rain, so timing is key as well. So for those outside area, you can't really plan a trip in advance.