i NEEED help .-.
- Thread starter hardshell
- Start date
I keep the majority of my stag larvae in groups in smallish containers and increase their (containers') size as the larvae grow bigger.
The larvae of tropical stag beetles are not cannibalistic if there is any appropriate food in the container.
I kept lamprima, rainbows, cyclommatus and they do not each each other. I can assume that the large larvae could consume an egg or very small larvae but I never seen things like that. The stag's larvae can be hunted by very, very hungry females, if food is not supplied for weeks. They also can be hunted by the larvae of click beetles, which often survive the immersion of the log in the water for a few days.
Keeping the larvae all together at earlier stages is very convenient, as it saves a lot of space. If you afraid of the cannibalism, just group them by their size.
Hope this helps
n.b.
I do not think that any (apart from goliathus species) of popular exotic beetles are cannibalistic, if they have food they need.
http://beetlesaspets.blogspot.co.uk/
The larvae of tropical stag beetles are not cannibalistic if there is any appropriate food in the container.
I kept lamprima, rainbows, cyclommatus and they do not each each other. I can assume that the large larvae could consume an egg or very small larvae but I never seen things like that. The stag's larvae can be hunted by very, very hungry females, if food is not supplied for weeks. They also can be hunted by the larvae of click beetles, which often survive the immersion of the log in the water for a few days.
Keeping the larvae all together at earlier stages is very convenient, as it saves a lot of space. If you afraid of the cannibalism, just group them by their size.
Hope this helps
n.b.
I do not think that any (apart from goliathus species) of popular exotic beetles are cannibalistic, if they have food they need.
http://beetlesaspets.blogspot.co.uk/
Last edited by a moderator:
stagmaster
Egg
Hello,
great to know someone breeding stag beetles. It's better to carefully dig out the larvae (grubs) at L2 to L3 stage and place each grub in separate deli cups with lids (either 16 oz or 32 oz). Make small pinholes on the lid. Substrate should be kept moist but not soppy wet. All the substrate has to be heated in oven at 450 to 600 deg F with plently of water poured onto substrates before oven. Heat it for 90 minutes.
Femake stags lay eggs throughout there breeding life for about 2 to 3 months so you may still find some eggs and L1 larvae mixed with the L2 and L3. Just be very careful teasing the substrate away with balsa wood chopstick. A balsa chopstick comes stuck as pair so you need to pull them apart and just used a single stick to dig the substrate very slowly. I spent few hours to dig out my 167 grubs few months ago. they are now mostly in L3 stage looking juicy and plump.
For the logs, I use have decayed (but still looking light color inside) hardwoods. I prepare my own substrates and logs. If you find a log that feels light for it's appearance, then it's decayed. Then make sure the inside is more light colored. For final check, drop the log from your height to a cement sidewalk to see if it breaks into 2 or 3 pieces. Make sure it doesn't crumble into small pieces when you crush with your hands. Then it's the best log for your Adult Stag breeding. Grubs also like such logs as well as slightly softer logs that crumbles in your hand with slightly more force. However, the inside still has to look light colored (white to creamy color).
By contrast, adult Rhino beetles don't require any log to breed. Just need a very fine compost soil. The Rhino beetle grubs prefer substrates that consists of very decayed soft dark reddish brown wood that easily crumbles in your hand with slight force.
great to know someone breeding stag beetles. It's better to carefully dig out the larvae (grubs) at L2 to L3 stage and place each grub in separate deli cups with lids (either 16 oz or 32 oz). Make small pinholes on the lid. Substrate should be kept moist but not soppy wet. All the substrate has to be heated in oven at 450 to 600 deg F with plently of water poured onto substrates before oven. Heat it for 90 minutes.
Femake stags lay eggs throughout there breeding life for about 2 to 3 months so you may still find some eggs and L1 larvae mixed with the L2 and L3. Just be very careful teasing the substrate away with balsa wood chopstick. A balsa chopstick comes stuck as pair so you need to pull them apart and just used a single stick to dig the substrate very slowly. I spent few hours to dig out my 167 grubs few months ago. they are now mostly in L3 stage looking juicy and plump.
For the logs, I use have decayed (but still looking light color inside) hardwoods. I prepare my own substrates and logs. If you find a log that feels light for it's appearance, then it's decayed. Then make sure the inside is more light colored. For final check, drop the log from your height to a cement sidewalk to see if it breaks into 2 or 3 pieces. Make sure it doesn't crumble into small pieces when you crush with your hands. Then it's the best log for your Adult Stag breeding. Grubs also like such logs as well as slightly softer logs that crumbles in your hand with slightly more force. However, the inside still has to look light colored (white to creamy color).
By contrast, adult Rhino beetles don't require any log to breed. Just need a very fine compost soil. The Rhino beetle grubs prefer substrates that consists of very decayed soft dark reddish brown wood that easily crumbles in your hand with slight force.
stagmaster
Egg
Hello again,
Just be cautious and watch the oven frequently when heating the substrate to avoid fire ! I usually heat for 99 minutes with 2 liters of water poured onto the substrate before putting into oven for heating at 450 to 600 deg F. Just watch out when dealing with high temperature. Don't want to cause fire !
Just be cautious and watch the oven frequently when heating the substrate to avoid fire ! I usually heat for 99 minutes with 2 liters of water poured onto the substrate before putting into oven for heating at 450 to 600 deg F. Just watch out when dealing with high temperature. Don't want to cause fire !
stagmaster
Egg
Hi Hardshell,
I usually collect lots of logs and store it all heat treated for next Spring. Just curious how many Stags are you planning to breed. Also tell me if you are breeding Two Female with One male or one female with one male or three females with one male. I usually put 2 adult females with one adult male in a 10 to 15 gallon plastic container. Each log should be about 3 inch in diameter or more and about 6 inch long or longer and half decayed but still light colored and light weight. I put these logs in several layers alternating with compost soil mixed with hardwood sawdusts. I make 2 layers of this and leave one or 2 more logs halfway buried on very top.
Where are you located? Not decided but maybe I can sell some logs to you if you need it. If I decide to ship it then I need to ultra heat treat them again and keep them dry for shipping. It's a lot of work searching for nice logs, then carrying them back home on my shoulders for few miles ( I don't drive..he..he) and heat treating them for few hours.
Alternatively, you can goto Bugsincyberspace.com. They sell red alder logs for beetle breeding but I personally never used their red alder logs. You also need to check with them if the extent of decay is sufficient for the beetle breeding.
I usually collect lots of logs and store it all heat treated for next Spring. Just curious how many Stags are you planning to breed. Also tell me if you are breeding Two Female with One male or one female with one male or three females with one male. I usually put 2 adult females with one adult male in a 10 to 15 gallon plastic container. Each log should be about 3 inch in diameter or more and about 6 inch long or longer and half decayed but still light colored and light weight. I put these logs in several layers alternating with compost soil mixed with hardwood sawdusts. I make 2 layers of this and leave one or 2 more logs halfway buried on very top.
Where are you located? Not decided but maybe I can sell some logs to you if you need it. If I decide to ship it then I need to ultra heat treat them again and keep them dry for shipping. It's a lot of work searching for nice logs, then carrying them back home on my shoulders for few miles ( I don't drive..he..he) and heat treating them for few hours.
Alternatively, you can goto Bugsincyberspace.com. They sell red alder logs for beetle breeding but I personally never used their red alder logs. You also need to check with them if the extent of decay is sufficient for the beetle breeding.
Shade of Eclipse
Fresh Imago
I purchased some logs from Peter at bugsincyberspace a while ago. They weren't very uniform in decay and had harder wood on one side and very soft wood on the other, but they were overall sufficiently decayed for use. The gradient may also allow different species of stag beetles to find their own preference of wood density. The harder bits lasted longer, but they eventually continued to decay and became just as soft as the rest.
From my experience, keeping stag beetle larvae together is asking for cannibalism to occur. Some species may be fairly tolerant of each other and may communicate to each other through stridulation to prevent cannibalism, but there's always a chance of it occurring as they grow and the amount of space and suitable substrate decreases.
From my experience, keeping stag beetle larvae together is asking for cannibalism to occur. Some species may be fairly tolerant of each other and may communicate to each other through stridulation to prevent cannibalism, but there's always a chance of it occurring as they grow and the amount of space and suitable substrate decreases.