Phanaeus vindex

Man I REALLY wanted some of these, but I pretty much spent my entire "invert budget" for the year lol! I wish you the best of luck!

 
Agreed - among the dung beetles, the Phanaeini are remarkably coloured - most other dung beetles are black or brown. I well remember the first time (decades ago) that I found a Phanaeus vindex - I was amazed by its colours, which would change depending upon the viewing angle! It was a very large male too, with a long horn. Interestingly, there are some members of the Phanaeini in which both the male and female have horns, such as Coprophanaeus (=Megaphanaeus) lancifer from the Amazon. Another unusual thing about this species is that it's about as big around as a golf ball, and feeds on carrion instead of dung. Another photo (male).

C. lancifer has a deep metallic blue colour that's not very common in beetles. Here's another good photo of a male. Another species, C. ensifer, is just as large but is green instead of blue.

Males have more prominent sculpturing on the pronotum than the females, and usually have proportionately larger horns.

I've never heard of anyone breeding any species of Coprophanaeus, but despite the extra effort which would undoubtedly be involved, they would certainly be a very interesting and worthwhile genus to work with, especially the larger species such as lancifer and ensifer. Incidentally, one small species, C. pluto ranges into the southernmost point of TX. It's completely black in colour, and only the size of US Phanaeus species.

 
How hard has it been to care for these guys? I've heard it's not all that easy finding the right food for them
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If you have access to horse poop, that works really well. So if you live near horse stables, you are good to go.
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Haha lol, sadly Im not lucky enough to live near any farms or such. Also Ive been questioning my sanity lately as Ive caught myself more and more often thinking hmm, will this be good for the beetles? As I stare at a plate of food. Maybe itd work for other species? Idk.

 
Ok, so... #realtalk... my P vindex have received fresh rat, dog, horse... and human dung. Pretty much at the same time and in equal amounts. For science, of course (it helps me sleep at night). The human dung was completely gone overnight. The horse dung is still partially left after almost a week, so its about to come out.

Id love to give them cow dung but the nearest cow in Vegas is not easily accessible, nor do I think theyd be hyper hip to supplying me a bucket of deuce.

 
Wow, I guess they like human haha! Ive read that horse isnt very useful (I think, though that could just be for trapping). If human dung is working Id recommend sticking with it (the cranial discomfort is worth it) Ive also read that dog (and I think rat too) are almost worthless for breeding.

 
Before I wanted these guys for their beautiful colors now I want them more so for the scientific research of what crap they like to feast on lol. Anyone have any references on where to purchase?

PowerHobo - Did you get your guys as adults or as larva?

Anyone - How long is the life expectancy for these dudes? I've been trying and trying to do some research with no luck at all
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Thanks in advance everyone!!!

 
Phanaeus definitely favors the dung of omnivores. They can live on the fresh manure of herbivores such as cattle if there's no other option, though it's not their preference. Horse manure is little more than slightly digested grass, and seems to be of little interest to most US dung beetle species. For Phanaeus, pig dung works well for if you have access to some.

Anyone have any references on where to purchase?

At - bugsincyberspace.com

Anyone - How long is the life expectancy for these dudes?

At least 4 months - possibly longer under optimal conditions.

 
Goliathus said:
Phanaeus definitely favors the dung of omnivores. They can live on the fresh manure of herbivores such as cattle if there's no other option, though it's not their preference. Horse manure is little more than slightly digested grass, and seems to be of little interest to most US dung beetle species. For Phanaeus, pig dung works well for if you have access to some.

Anyone have any references on where to purchase?

At - bugsincyberspace.com

Anyone - How long is the life expectancy for these dudes?

At least 4 months - possibly longer under optimal conditions.
Click to expand...
THANK YOU!
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Any idea on how long the larva stage is? Or better yet time from egg to pupa

(sorry if my wording is off, I'm so new to this)

 
Any idea on how long the larva stage is?

I would estimate that the larval stage is around 4 or 5 months long. Then, at least that much additional time is spent inside the brood ball as a pre-pupa, pupa, and hibernating adult. Adults start emerging in spring, in response to higher temperatures and rain. An ideal day for Phanaeus activity would be sunny, above 80 degrees F, and not too windy, especially right after a rather heavy rain. Their peak activity time is between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

Or better yet time from egg to pupa

Development time from egg to adult in captivity is six months to a year, depending on environmental conditions. As with many other beetles, the time can undoubtedly be minimized if the temperature and humidity are maintained at optimal levels. Many beetle species will start to ignore seasonal climate cycles after being kept in captivity for a few generations, gradually becoming out of sync with the wild population. This might happen with Phanaeus, which means it might be possible to have adults emerge in the middle of winter, under climate-controlled, indoor conditions.

There's a useful book available that goes into considerable detail about rearing Phanaeus and other dung beetles -

https://shop.bugsincyberspace.com/Dung-Beetle-Pet-Book-bic18.htm

 
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