PowerHobo Posted May 29, 2019 Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 I dumped my Lucanus elaphus bin (gently) so that I could introduce a layer clay substrate for them to pupate in even though I thought it was a few months early, and was pretty shocked to find this handsome lad right on top in a mostly destroyed cell. I can definitely see why this species prefers to pupate in clay; the walls of his cell we very weak compared to the sturdy crust created by something like D tityus or G thula. He's in a nice little floral foam cell now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goliathus Posted May 29, 2019 Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 Based on the size of the mandibles, that appears to be a rather good-sized male - congratulations! Note how the aedeagus (that coiled bit held to one side of the tip of the abdomen) in lucanids is situated externally in the pupal stage; in scarabs, it's internal. Yes - best to place a firmly pressed layer of moistened clay soil at the bottom of the rearing container when elaphus larvae are nearly ready to build cells - organic substrate really isn't dense enough for them to build strong cells. I've found that all too often, if not provided with clay, many elaphus larvae will just wander for weeks (if not months) after reaching full size and eventually shrink and die from the exhaustion of searching for suitable pupation substrate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratmosphere Posted May 30, 2019 Report Share Posted May 30, 2019 Dude congrats! Big male u got there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garin Posted May 31, 2019 Report Share Posted May 31, 2019 Good job! You are on a roll! What a difference this year is than last year. You see, you weren't doing such a bad job after all. You just had some bad luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teganpaxton Posted June 2, 2019 Report Share Posted June 2, 2019 how long usually does it take from this stage for it to de-shell and complete? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mantis Menagerie Posted June 3, 2019 Report Share Posted June 3, 2019 I had one emerge about a month after it pupated. As I understand it, they need a hibernation period after they harden their exoskeleton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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