Jerusalem Cricket Breeding
- Thread starter kellakk
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Messages
- 1,652
I am not aware of anyone getting them to reproduce in captivity.
Smokehound714
Arachnoking
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2013
- Messages
- 3,091
I am currently preparing for a serious attempt. The eggs take nearly a full year to hatch in the wild. Deposited in spring, and hatching in fall, in time for the rains.
A brooding female needs a BIG enclosure, as their instinct is to dig down deeper, and form a brooding chamber. I believe they actually possess silk glands similar to silk-spinning crickets (close relatives) used for lining the chamber. Perhaps they simply need a lengthy dry diapause period at room temp, then hatch when the rains come.
That mature female i grabbed the last time looks gravid. she will not eat, probably full of the male, still.
I have a male nigrocapitatus now, as well. I still need a female mahogany, though. One of my males is huge and can get to 6.5 cm after feeding. i really want a black dune pair. those are amazing..
A brooding female needs a BIG enclosure, as their instinct is to dig down deeper, and form a brooding chamber. I believe they actually possess silk glands similar to silk-spinning crickets (close relatives) used for lining the chamber. Perhaps they simply need a lengthy dry diapause period at room temp, then hatch when the rains come.
That mature female i grabbed the last time looks gravid. she will not eat, probably full of the male, still.
I have a male nigrocapitatus now, as well. I still need a female mahogany, though. One of my males is huge and can get to 6.5 cm after feeding. i really want a black dune pair. those are amazing..
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2011
- Messages
- 1,652
Good luck! :biggrin:
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2006
- Messages
- 721
Mike "Troll" Dame has supposedly had a bit of experience in breeding these, though I don't recall the extent of it. I've seen whitish eggs before but they dried up before I even had a chance to photograph them (I think...I'll go look at my memory stick in a minute). I sent some off to Harvard recently, but I don't think they were going to breed them--just photograph them.
Smokehound714
Arachnoking
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2013
- Messages
- 3,091
Sadly, i believe my mature female S. nigrocapitatus has a mature horsehair worm in her, either that or a blockage. Hopefully she improves. I'm holding off feeding her for a week or so.
So until i can find a new female, i wont be getting any eggs.. the rest of my specimens, except for my giant male mahogany, are about 3-4 years from maturity (possibly longer)..
So until i can find a new female, i wont be getting any eggs.. the rest of my specimens, except for my giant male mahogany, are about 3-4 years from maturity (possibly longer)..