D granti, D tityus tank set up

No, flying is unnecessary for captive husbandry. Of course you could try flying one around the living room at dusk. They are attracted to the room light unlike flower beetles that head for the nearest window (polarized light -daytime).

 
Orin said:
No, flying is unnecessary for captive husbandry. Of course you could try flying one around the living room at dusk. They are attracted to the room light unlike flower beetles that head for the nearest window (polarized light -daytime).
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I can just see it now. My wife is walking into the living room just to ask me what I'm doing but before she gets it out a beetle flies into her mouth. Classic.
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The other comment is that is sounds like you've done this before...
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An ex-girlfriend had very big hair. The wild caught Dynastes granti colony I had at the time was living in a 10 gallon aquarium and were very inclined to flight (probably because they were used to being free). When I would turn the light on in the room, some of them would try to buzz around their cage. I kept a rock on top of the cage. Well, a group of them can go through some serious fruit and when I went to replace the fruit one day...

You guessed it...one ended up in her hair. It's much funnier now than it was at the time. Extracting a male D. granti from a hysterical woman's hair is not an easy or fun thing to do. Looking back, I think that beetle was trying to tell me something.

I should have listened. There's a lesson here, somewhere
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Mt wife was a pool party on Chery Point Marine Corps Air Station when this "thing" made a crash landing and appeared to be dead. She brought it home and took some pics and sent them to my phone. I thought it was neat-O. I came home and it was in the kitchen floor on its back, motionless. I figured the kids had knocked it off so I picked it up and was admiring the markings when it sprang to life and wrapped my finger in a death grip. Ive seen these guys on TV but I had no clue if they bite or what. After a brief series of squirming, jumping, and screaming like a little girl I got it under control. It s a Dynastes tityus male and my kids want to keep it. I have it in an aquarium with a piece of sod I cut from the yard, some stones and a few pieces of mulch. I also threw in a branch for it to climb. Im feeding it banana and a mix of water and pancake syrup. Someone school me on what I should be doing to keep this thing alive. Also, how long do they live?

 
Keep it on a layer of damp to wet potting soil or coconut fiber in a cage with minimal ventilation. I suggest feeding it brown sugar water and avoiding banana. It is rather late in it's adult life (I know this because of the time of year) but it could live three to four months more with correct care.

 
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