Bess Beetles

A

arachknight

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I've been keeping a small group of bess beetles with one beetle living for two years now. Has anyone been able to successfully breed these beetles and under what conditions? I know that they are communal and help with feeding grubs. Any way to successfully sex them? Would breeding conditions be similar to stag breeding? Thanks for any and all intelligent input.

J

 
Bess beetles are one of those beetles that are unbelievably common in the wild and yet difficult to rear. I've bred them through the full life cycle but they're not easy and I may be the only person who's genuinely acquired eggs in captivity. The big trick is you have to refrigerate the adults for the winter and they'll lay eggs in the spring. Other important factors include they have to be in a large rotten log of good level of decay but not too far, damp but not mushy, and they should not be dug up at all until larvae are seen. Keep them in a glass aquarium so you can observe the larvae as even after larvae are seen it's easiest not to distrub them.

 
Orin said:
Bess beetles are one of those beetles that are unbelievably common in the wild and yet difficult to rear. I've bred them through the full life cycle but they're not easy and I may be the only person who's genuinely acquired eggs in captivity. The big trick is you have to refrigerate the adults for the winter and they'll lay eggs in the spring. Other important factors include they have to be in a large rotten log of good level of decay but not too far, damp but not mushy, and they should not be dug up at all until larvae are seen. Keep them in a glass aquarium so you can observe the larvae as even after larvae are seen it's easiest not to distrub them.
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Will bringing the glass aquarium outside into a garage work? I don't see myself literally putting a 10 gallon tank in the refrigerater for 4 months out of the year.
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I just can see it now my wife reaches for a bite and finds a crunchy, yet highly nutrituous beetle. Have you been able to sex them? Or have I asked you this already?

 
Orin said:
Bess beetles are one of those beetles that are unbelievably common in the wild and yet difficult to rear. I've bred them through the full life cycle but they're not easy and I may be the only person who's genuinely acquired eggs in captivity. The big trick is you have to refrigerate the adults for the winter and they'll lay eggs in the spring. Other important factors include they have to be in a large rotten log of good level of decay but not too far, damp but not mushy, and they should not be dug up at all until larvae are seen. Keep them in a glass aquarium so you can observe the larvae as even after larvae are seen it's easiest not to distrub them.
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Been a long time since I've visited but I'm back. Just wanted to share an update that the bess beetles did lay eggs without having to be refrigerated and not disturbing them is key. Thanks.

 
Just thought I'd make a quick note...

If you find/purchase bess beetle larvae, you must rear them with an adult beetle, otherwise they will starve. The good thing is that the adults don't seem too picky about which larvae they raise; I peeked in and saw an unrelated adult feeding 3 larvae. :3

 
Zephyr said:
Just thought I'd make a quick note...

If you find/purchase bess beetle larvae, you must rear them with an adult beetle, otherwise they will starve. The good thing is that the adults don't seem too picky about which larvae they raise; I peeked in and saw an unrelated adult feeding 3 larvae. :3
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The Bess Beetles I've read they are communal in nature and will take turns feeding larvae. Interesting, insects tend not to have many maternal instincts. Does anyone else know of an insect that does this other than the highly social wasps, bees, ants, termites?

 
i have a group of twelve in a large sweater box,i have them on decayed wood with a large mushroom log half buried(which they have nearly shredded)i put beetle jelly in once a month and have done nothing else.

i recently went to check on them and have found larvae digging under the mashed up wood,hoping to get them to adulthood(fingers crossed)

if i catch any on the surface i will get photos.

Andy

 
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