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Information on general desert teneb breeding


Teneb

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I really want to start breeding desert tenebs but do not have enough info, if there is already a thread please leave it in the replies. I am planning on doing Edrotes, Eleodes, Stenomorpha, Embaphion (its in bold because I really want some) and many others. Please leave advice thank you!

 

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I have caresheets for Eleodes and Embaphion:

https://idcaresheets.blogspot.com/2020/05/eleodes-spp.html?m=1

https://idcaresheets.blogspot.com/2019/12/embaphion-muricatum-contusum.html?m=1

Edrotes so far have proven impossible to get to oviposit in captivity, lots have tried, none have succeeded. They may actually require a host plant growing in their setup to get them to breed, in the wild adults Edrotes have been seen feeding on saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), non-native cheat grass (Bromus tectorum), Russian thistle (Salsola kali), & wild onion (Allium sp.). They might lay their eggs at the bases of said plants, just a hunch of mine.

As for Stenomorpha, JSYK their adults only live a few months naturally, and will lay in a sandy clay substrate mixture. However, the larvae are soft bodied and highly cannibalistic, and must be separated if you want a decent amount to survive until adulthood.

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On 8/16/2022 at 2:10 PM, Hisserdude said:

I have caresheets for Eleodes and Embaphion:

https://idcaresheets.blogspot.com/2020/05/eleodes-spp.html?m=1

https://idcaresheets.blogspot.com/2019/12/embaphion-muricatum-contusum.html?m=1

Edrotes so far have proven impossible to get to oviposit in captivity, lots have tried, none have succeeded. They may actually require a host plant growing in their setup to get them to breed, in the wild adults Edrotes have been seen feeding on saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), non-native cheat grass (Bromus tectorum), Russian thistle (Salsola kali), & wild onion (Allium sp.). They might lay their eggs at the bases of said plants, just a hunch of mine.

As for Stenomorpha, JSYK their adults only live a few months naturally, and will lay in a sandy clay substrate mixture. However, the larvae are soft bodied and highly cannibalistic, and must be separated if you want a decent amount to survive until adulthood.

Thank you! I have gotten Edrotes to lay once, then get to pupation but then died during pupa phase.

I just kept them like I would Asbolus or Eleodes armata and they layed, I did have 10 though...

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On 8/16/2022 at 3:41 PM, Teneb said:

Thank you! I have gotten Edrotes to lay once, then get to pupation but then died during pupa phase.

I just kept them like I would Asbolus or Eleodes armata and they layed, I did have 10 though...

Really??? How exactly did you set them up? Substrate, temps, humidity, etc?

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On 8/16/2022 at 11:19 PM, Teneb said:

Room temp, I had them in a regular beetle tank with 10 others and they just did their thing.

What exactly was the substrate? Sand, sand mixed with something else, coco fiber, etc? And how humid did you keep the substrate?

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On 8/16/2022 at 11:32 PM, Teneb said:

Coco fiber with sand yes, subsrate was moderately moist.

Hmm, interesting. How did you know they were Edrotes rather than Eleodes or Asbolus? They look weird like this?

TriorophusLargeLarva%25232.JPG

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On 8/16/2022 at 2:10 PM, Hisserdude said:

I have caresheets for Eleodes and Embaphion:

https://idcaresheets.blogspot.com/2020/05/eleodes-spp.html?m=1

https://idcaresheets.blogspot.com/2019/12/embaphion-muricatum-contusum.html?m=1

Edrotes so far have proven impossible to get to oviposit in captivity, lots have tried, none have succeeded. They may actually require a host plant growing in their setup to get them to breed, in the wild adults Edrotes have been seen feeding on saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), non-native cheat grass (Bromus tectorum), Russian thistle (Salsola kali), & wild onion (Allium sp.). They might lay their eggs at the bases of said plants, just a hunch of mine.

As for Stenomorpha, JSYK their adults only live a few months naturally, and will lay in a sandy clay substrate mixture. However, the larvae are soft bodied and highly cannibalistic, and must be separated if you want a decent amount to survive until adulthood.

Thank you for that information Hissderdude. Do you have any caresheets on Asbolus? I have seen some posts on the blue beetle forum but I know you are the teneb breeding expert and would prefer to use your methods. If you guys want adult Edrotes to practice with, I see lots of them at the desert where I go often to collect. 

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On 8/17/2022 at 10:30 PM, Garin said:

Thank you for that information Hissderdude. Do you have any caresheets on Asbolus? I have seen some posts on the blue beetle forum but I know you are the teneb breeding expert and would prefer to use your methods. If you guys want adult Edrotes to practice with, I see lots of them at the desert where I go often to collect. 

I'm breeding Asbolus mexicanus mexicanus and have bred (and am still breeding) Cryptoglossa muricatum, I'm working on refining my husbandry for those before writing a caresheet or anything, but in general Cryptoglossini seem to find sandy substrates for the best oviposit rates, and the larvae of all of them are very photosensitive and protein hungry, and readily cannibalize each other. Burying dry dog food and such in the substrate of the main breeding setup can help, but overall isolating larvae is best for maximum survival. When mature, larvae will need to be kept at 80F° or above to induce pupation, this is the most tricky part. Most Cryptoglossini can handle pretty humid substrates larvae and pupae and may actually prefer it, but A.m.mexicanus for example loath humid substrate, but still need stable, compressed substrate to make pupal cells in, so mixing in some clay with their sand is necessary for that species.

I might try Edrotes again at some point for sure, so I'll keep that in mind.

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On 8/17/2022 at 3:04 PM, Teneb said:

Hmm don't remember, but it looked sorta different than Asbolous.

Yeah the larva in the picture I posted is of a Triorophus sp., which is also in the Tribe Edrotini, so I'd assume Edrotes would have similar looking larvae.

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On 8/18/2022 at 4:53 PM, Hisserdude said:

I'm breeding Asbolus mexicanus mexicanus and have bred (and am still breeding) Cryptoglossa muricatum, I'm working on refining my husbandry for those before writing a caresheet or anything, but in general Cryptoglossini seem to find sandy substrates for the best oviposit rates, and the larvae of all of them are very photosensitive and protein hungry, and readily cannibalize each other. Burying dry dog food and such in the substrate of the main breeding setup can help, but overall isolating larvae is best for maximum survival. When mature, larvae will need to be kept at 80F° or above to induce pupation, this is the most tricky part. Most Cryptoglossini can handle pretty humid substrates larvae and pupae and may actually prefer it, but A.m.mexicanus for example loath humid substrate, but still need stable, compressed substrate to make pupal cells in, so mixing in some clay with their sand is necessary for that species.

I might try Edrotes again at some point for sure, so I'll keep that in mind.

Thank you very much sharing the information. Have you bred Asbolus verrucosus? Would you think they would be similar? Thanks!

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On 8/18/2022 at 10:25 PM, Garin said:

Thank you very much sharing the information. Have you bred Asbolus verrucosus? Would you think they would be similar? Thanks!

I've not gotten to work with A.verrucosus myself yet, but from what I hear they're VERY similar in husbandry to the Cryptoglossa muricatum I breed. Like it a bit humid as larvae and pupae, typical sandy substrate, 80+ F° for pupation, etc..

 

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