Stag beetle larvae molted

N

newbie007

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I found this larvae yesterday, I was planning on moving it into a container that it can live in but when I checked it this morning it looks like it molted.  Is there a time frame that I should avoid handling this?  I assume since it is still all white it needs some time to harden.  (sorry for bad photo kinda hard to get a picture in its current container.

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Okay.  I'm actually surprised how much bigger the head is now.  Here are some better photos, I managed to gentle roll him to a better spot for these photos.

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Make sure to leave the molted skin next to the larva - they eat their old skins to get back the nutrients they contain.  It's not absolutely necessary that they eat them, but normally, they do.

 
Goliathus said:
Make sure to leave the molted skin next to the larva - they eat their old skins to get back the nutrients they contain.  It's not absolutely necessary that they eat them, but normally, they do.
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A good suggestion, many insects consume parts of their egg shells and old skins, I've seen different lepidoptera do it.

 
The anus and the size of the grub looks like a stag beetle larvae. The membrane has marbling and the mandibles look like a Lucanus Elephas because they harden fast and are black when the larvae molt. The face is shaped like a smooth upside down triangle and the whole face looks smooth. I don't have real statistics to prove that it is Lucanus Elephas but that is my prediction. I breed Lucanus Elephas so I'm a little familiar with them and I also said, looks like Lucanus Elephas. 

 
Dynastes TItyus hunter said:
The anus and the size of the grub looks like a stag beetle larvae. The membrane has marbling and the mandibles look like a Lucanus Elephas because they harden fast and are black when the larvae molt. The face is shaped like a smooth upside down triangle and the whole face looks smooth. I don't have real statistics to prove that it is Lucanus Elephas but that is my prediction. I breed Lucanus Elephas so I'm a little familiar with them and I also said, looks like Lucanus Elephas. 
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Ah cool, well I hope you're right!

 
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