care for Chalcosoma caucasus????

misfitsfiend

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 4, 2004
Messages
381
Anyone have any idea on how to care for these beetles? If there easy to care for? and how easy are they to breed? :?

Also .... does anyone know where to buy beetles?
 
Last edited:

Wade

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 16, 2002
Messages
2,929
Finding them for sale in the US will be difficult thanks to USDA restrictions.

Wade
 

Gsc

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
538
There was a pair listed for sale out of new york a few days ago on www.petbugs.com


They are hard compared to the Dynastes beetles here in the US that we normally deal with. Make sure you use the sterilized mixture of rotten hardwood, hardwood leaves, and coco fiber.....

I put a few logs in the cages in different stages of decay....

They seem to relish bananna with some watered down PURE maple syrup.... although cantalope and grapes have been eaten also by the adults.

There is info on them... do a google search for their care.

Good luck...to see these things in person is amazing...so freakin' big!
 

Gsc

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
538
Thanks Orin... I'll take out the logs from that cage. They are my favorites... awsome beetles
 

MarcusK408

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Messages
13
GSC,

Aren't you a member on Waterwolves.com also? I am. :) You keep rhino beetles? I'm getting some Chalcosoma Atlas' and my friend is getting C. Caucasus, C. Atlas and Dynastes Hercules Lichyi. I'm having a hard time trying to find substrate for these guys. I'm thinking of looking for compost/humus at Home Depot.
 

Gsc

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
538
Yep Marcus I'm a waterwolves member...I keep all sorts of animals.. predatory fish, reptiles, & misc inverts (tarantulas, scorpions, millipedes, centipedes, stickinsects, roaches, and beetles). I'm working on establishing breeding colonies of millipedes, scorpions, rarer roaches, and beetles. I've just got into beetles... 6 different species right now... they are alot harder than people think.

Heree in the US there isn't any comercially availiable beetle substrate like in Japan. I went out into the wood MANY times collecting rotten hardwood logs (where its a golden color inside and crumbles in the hand)...Also got a bucket full of leafs off the ground that were semi decayed.... Sterilized them...crumbled everything and mixed ~ 1/3 wood, ~1/3 leaves, & ~ 1/3 coco fiber (bed-a-beast). So far this is working for me... Of course I'm new at this.

Orin (MantidAssassins) wrote 2 great books on beetles that have been a HUGE help....

Here are a GREAT care site:

http://www.naturalworlds.org/scarabaeidae/species/Scarabaeidae_species.htm
 

Gsc

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
538
I just saw this ad on petbugs.com. He is a good guy with quality animals. Here in America, these are some really rare beetles.... If I had more money, I'd snatch some more up.

---------------------------------------------------

*NEW* Sale: Beetles
Victor <blue_eyes10029@yahoo.com>
from: NYC
Thursday, April 28 2005, at 10:21 a.m.

I have for sale here a few pairs of xylotrupes gideon imago at $45 a pair, dynastes hercules hercules L3 at $100 a pair (different bloodline than before), and chalcosoma caucasus imago at $160 a pair. Everything is live and healthy, please contact me if interested. Discounts do apply on larger orders.
 

MarcusK408

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Messages
13
Gsc said:
Yep Marcus I'm a waterwolves member...I keep all sorts of animals.. predatory fish, reptiles, & misc inverts (tarantulas, scorpions, millipedes, centipedes, stickinsects, roaches, and beetles). I'm working on establishing breeding colonies of millipedes, scorpions, rarer roaches, and beetles. I've just got into beetles... 6 different species right now... they are alot harder than people think.

Heree in the US there isn't any comercially availiable beetle substrate like in Japan. I went out into the wood MANY times collecting rotten hardwood logs (where its a golden color inside and crumbles in the hand)...Also got a bucket full of leafs off the ground that were semi decayed.... Sterilized them...crumbled everything and mixed ~ 1/3 wood, ~1/3 leaves, & ~ 1/3 coco fiber (bed-a-beast). So far this is working for me... Of course I'm new at this.

Orin (MantidAssassins) wrote 2 great books on beetles that have been a HUGE help....

Here are a GREAT care site:

http://www.naturalworlds.org/scarabaeidae/species/Scarabaeidae_species.htm
I've seen that site called Nuturalworlds.org. It's very good.
I'm just too lazy to go collecting wood and leaves or maybe it's because there's no heavily wooded areas around me where stuff is decayed enough to collect. :) I'll just have to find an online site that sells compost/humus or try Home Depot or another home/garden place.
 

MarcusK408

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Messages
13
Gsc said:
I just saw this ad on petbugs.com. He is a good guy with quality animals. Here in America, these are some really rare beetles.... If I had more money, I'd snatch some more up.

---------------------------------------------------

*NEW* Sale: Beetles
Victor <blue_eyes10029@yahoo.com>
from: NYC
Thursday, April 28 2005, at 10:21 a.m.

I have for sale here a few pairs of xylotrupes gideon imago at $45 a pair, dynastes hercules hercules L3 at $100 a pair (different bloodline than before), and chalcosoma caucasus imago at $160 a pair. Everything is live and healthy, please contact me if interested. Discounts do apply on larger orders.
That same guy emailed me about his C. Caucasus pairs for sale but it was more than I was willing to pay for beetles. I found out that he buys them from a place in Taiwan called Kingdom of Beetle so I placed an order with them. Jon (RareAfishinado) was awestruck with the looks of these beetles when I posted a picture of a C. Caucasus in the WW forum so he wanted to do an order with me. We're expecting a shipment from Kingdom of Beetle in the following week. It's a shame these beetles aren't more popular in the US.
 

MarcusK408

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Messages
13
MantidAssassins said:
tarsi removal
Oh, so parts of their limbs can get stuck in pieces of the log and break off.

What about some people saying to put flat pieces of bark or wood or logs to prevent the beetles from flipping on their backs?
 

MarcusK408

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Messages
13
Ok, I'll just use a piece of smooth lumber for the beetles to walk on and mate on. There's no nooks and crannies on those for their legs to get caught on.
 
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