3 species ID and/or Care Info

satchellwk

satchellwk

L1
Hello,

I have recently collected 3 different beetle species, however, on some I don't know exactly what they are or how to properly care for them.

All were found in Tuscaloosa County, AL.

First, I have a (I think) Pasimachus sp. How hard are they to care for? Do they just need dirt, food, and a hide ot thrive?

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Next, I have some unidentified darklings. Would they need standard darkling care?

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Finally I found the one beetle I'm most excited about. I really want to say this is a female Lucanus, but I honestly have no idea. If it is Lucanus or something similar, is it a female and, at this point in the year, would she be fertilized? It was under a log, making me think it might have been in ova laying mode. I've found lots of lucanus care sheets online, but if there's any specific info anyone wants to throw in, I would gladly accept!

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Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm still really new at beetles, and my previous endeavors have been less than successful, so I could probably use all the help I can get.

Thanks!

 
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the first picture is a stag for sure..

and the third one is lucanus caprelous i think..

and the second one... i have no idea lol

 
Gosh....Tuscaloosa isn't far away from where I am and yet I've never seen any Pasimachus before. I am so jealous now. lol

I don't know about breeding Pasimachus but adults can be reared in any substrate from sand to ecoearth. They feed on live insects so try feeding some crickets. I heard that they live for quite few years so if you give a right care for this species, he/she will live for a long time
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Second species is a darkling beetle with the scientific name "Meracantha contracta". I tried to rear this species for a couple of times but I failed.

Third species is Lucanus elaphus. The easiest way to tell apart elaphus from capreolus is that elaphus females don't have yellow femur. You are really lucky to find a female because females of this species are very hard to find in the wild.

 
Awesome! Thanks for the info.

This is the first Pasimachus that I've ever found as well; I had no idea their range even extended this far!

When you say "rear" do you mean keep alive or breed? I would be content enough to keep them alive. Also, do you have any idea on the longevity?

Great to hear that this is indeed Lucanus, and elephus at that! I'm going to put an enclosure together either tonight or tomorrow for her (she's in a deli cup right now). I think I have a good idea what I should do, but I'm just going to run it by you guys, since you know more than I do. So, I do an inch of soil (would coco fiber suffice?) then about 3-4 inches of rotten wood, with a few whole pieces, then a loose inch of soil/coco fiber. Then, I give her fruits and let her do her thing. Is that about right?

Thanks again!

 
Orin said:
Did you lose them during pupation?
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I was able to get them to mature but the adults died before I could breed them
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I tried feeding carrots and banana slices and saw that they were nibbling on them so I don't know why they died so early.

 
satchellwk said:
Awesome! Thanks for the info.

This is the first Pasimachus that I've ever found as well; I had no idea their range even extended this far!

When you say "rear" do you mean keep alive or breed? I would be content enough to keep them alive. Also, do you have any idea on the longevity?

Great to hear that this is indeed Lucanus, and elephus at that! I'm going to put an enclosure together either tonight or tomorrow for her (she's in a deli cup right now). I think I have a good idea what I should do, but I'm just going to run it by you guys, since you know more than I do. So, I do an inch of soil (would coco fiber suffice?) then about 3-4 inches of rotten wood, with a few whole pieces, then a loose inch of soil/coco fiber. Then, I give her fruits and let her do her thing. Is that about right?

Thanks again!
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I forgot to clarify that by rear I meant "keep alive".
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I don't have much information on longevity except that they live for few years. I suspect around 2 or 3.

For Lucanus, I've never used coco fiber so I can't guarantee that it will work.

Good luck with them
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Lucanus said:
I forgot to clarify that by rear I meant "keep alive".
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I don't have much information on longevity except that they live for few years. I suspect around 2 or 3.

For Lucanus, I've never used coco fiber so I can't guarantee that it will work.

Good luck with them
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Thanks!

As for the Meracantha contracta, I might just let them go, or pass them on to someone else. I'll see how they do (they seem to be feeding alright).

So, what do you normally use with Lucanus? If I understand correctly, the top and bottom layers aren't for nutritional value, that's what the woods for, right? So, it's not really important what they are, as long as they hold in moisture.

 
satchellwk said:
Thanks!

As for the Meracantha contracta, I might just let them go, or pass them on to someone else. I'll see how they do (they seem to be feeding alright).

So, what do you normally use with Lucanus? If I understand correctly, the top and bottom layers aren't for nutritional value, that's what the woods for, right? So, it's not really important what they are, as long as they hold in moisture.
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I use a substrate that I make. It is mainly composed of fermented sawdust.

Some species are picky with the substrate so if you don't provide good substrate, females won't lay any eggs.

 
Lucanus said:
I use a substrate that I make. It is mainly composed of fermented sawdust.

Some species are picky with the substrate so if you don't provide good substrate, females won't lay any eggs.
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Good to know. For now, at least, I just want to keep her alive, eggs would just be an added bonus! Therefore, I'll just use coco fiber and rotten (oak) wood and see how it does.

 
Lucanus said:
Third species is Lucanus elaphus. The easiest way to tell apart elaphus from capreolus is that elaphus females don't have yellow femur. You are really lucky to find a female because females of this species are very hard to find in the wild.
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I second that. I have one right now
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.

 
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