Cotinis mutabilis Larvae

Tenevanica

Arachnodemon
Joined
Feb 18, 2015
Messages
726
I recently bought some figeater beetle larvae from Smokehound714. They arrived today, and let me say, the quality of the packing was great! Of the 10 lavae I ordered, all 36 of them arrived alive and healthy. That's right! I received a triple overcount! Turns out that Smokehound had more larvae than he thought, and accidentally sent me 26 more larvae than intended :D. He actually sent me 37, but there was one DOA. What can you say? It happens, and I got a lot more than I should have. Thanks Smokehound!

Let's talk about the setup I have them in! The larvae are small L1s so I'm keeping them in a small KK. When they outgrow the KK I will move them to a 10 gallon. The smaller tank means it is easier to keep an eye on them and it is easier for them to find food. As for substrate, they're in a mix of 50% sand 25% peat moss, and 25% coco fiber. When they reach L3 I'll ad some clay for proper pupation. I sterilized the play sand by boiling it because it was sitting in my backyard and nematodes would obviously be a big problem. I didn't sterilize the peat moss because it as sealed in a bag when I bought it from the garden center, and obviously the coco fiber is already sterile. I'll keep the substrate somewhat dry, but there'll always be some moisture. As for food, I'll feed them boiled vegetables, cornmeal, and occasionally wild birdseed. The birdseed will germinate and the larvae will eat the roots and stems of the new plants. I've buried some fresh carrots in the substrate so simulate roots.

These are cool little grubs! They are currently about a centimeter long. They live up to the name crawly-backs. They really do move on their backs! My ultimate goal would be to get these to pupate and then breed them. If you see any problems with my care, please tell me! Here are some pictures: :photogenic:

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Here are some grubs at the bottom of the shipping container.

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Here's one crawling on my hand.

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This is them right as I put them in the KK.

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This is what I am keeping them in. (Not sure why it is upside-down)
 

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Smokehound714

Arachnoking
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
3,091
Enjoy!


Man im still astonished that I didnt notice myself give you that many haha. Glad to see you're happy.

these things will amaze you with how rapidly they eat and grow.
 
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