Phanaeus vindex

When I was breeding them and writing the book, I kept the setup in a spare bathroom and was surprised by the lack of smell.

Regarding bait, I have a friend at the local zoo who let me collect as much pig feces as I wanted. It was fun when this happened during opening hours and the guests were around..

 
Omg why did I never think of that
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! I guess theres a one way ticket to breeding heliocopris!

 
Goliathus said:
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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This forum has been the biggest blessing of my life! You guys rock! Thanks again

 
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