diabolical ironclad diet?

Hisserdude

Hisserdude

Dynastes
what do you feed these? i might be getting some soon, and i do not know what to feed them. will they eat dog food like other darklings? and do they need mushrooms? and has anybody bred these? sorry this is probably common knowledge. thanks in advance!

 
Hisserdude said:
what do you feed these? i might be getting some soon, and i do not know what to feed them. will they eat dog food like other darklings? and do they need mushrooms? and has anybody bred these? sorry this is probably common knowledge. thanks in advance!
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I have over a dozen of these. No breeding yet. My particular diabolicals won't eat any protein, but I have heard of some people giving them fish flakes. Mine like apples, carrots, cucumber, shitake and oyster mushrooms.They also will eat fungus off of decaying bark, usually oak. In the wild, I find them under decaying bark of oak trees. I have tried bananas, which they like, but it seems to cause a problem with the stickiness causing substrate to stick to their mouthparts, so I gave that up. They also seem to do better with a little more moisture than my desert beetles. They hang out a lot in a moist corner with moss.

 
Thanks for the info! This helps alot. Hope you have luck breeding yours!
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The only info I have is from a book I own. It states that the larvae and adults are found on rotting logs and feed off of fungus. I know these beetles especially like rotted oak bark. I've found very limited information online.

 
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Trailblazr80 said:
The only info I have is from a book I own. It states that the larvae and adults are found on rotting logs and feed off of fungus. I know these beetles especially like rotted oak bark. I've found very limited information online.
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I think I got the same info (from The Ultimate Guide...right?).

It's all about trial and error, I suppose...if I can get them to breed I'm going to be sooo happy!!!
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Yea they do and I love watching them!

The Ultimate Guide To Breeding Beetles by Orin McMongle has a small section on them, but I'm sure it's no more or less than what you'd get in a field guide.

Do you keep yours with your BDFs?

 
Amici Con Coleotteri said:
Yea they do and I love watching them!

The Ultimate Guide To Breeding Beetles by Orin McMongle has a small section on them, but I'm sure it's no more or less than what you'd get in a field guide.

Do you keep yours with your BDFs?
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Most likely. I have his darkling book. I keep mine separate because the ironclads seem to like it a little more moist than the blues.

 
In the field guide to insects and spiders of north america by Arthur V.Evans it says that " both adults and larvae feed on tough, woody

fungi growing on decaying stumps of coast live oaks." Hope this helps out on breeding them. And nice setup Amici!
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Hisserdude said:
In the field guide to insects and spiders of north america by Arthur V.Evans it says that " both adults and larvae feed on tough, woody

fungi growing on decaying stumps of coast live oaks." Hope this helps out on breeding them. And nice setup Amici!
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Thanks!!!
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I just got that book in the mail yesterday!

 
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