Chalcosoma atlas

[scavenger]

I would like to know if there is anyone else working with this beetle or who has. Specifically breeding info.

 

[heyjeyniceid]

can you post more pix please?

 

[Alex S.]

Chalcosoma

I usually dont work with herbivorous insects, but the Chalcosoma are just incredible beetles... So are you currently breeding them?

Alex S.

 

[Navaros]

Wow Scavenger, you've got one hell of a collection! I am beyond jealous.

 

[scavenger]

I usually dont work with herbivorous insects, but the Chalcosoma are just incredible beetles... So are you currently breeding them?

Alex S.

I am breeding them. These imagos are of second generation captive bred larvae. I was under the impression they were a difficult species to get to deposit ova past first generation... Or maybe the difficulty lies in having pupal emergence of both sexes at the right times? The former problem was solved with a big container and about 80L of wood in a fine mulch. After no ova were produced a couple of large logs were put on top (vertically) and they began to compact the wood beneath these. the later problem was solved by keeping the female pupa at lower temperatures.

These things are impossible to get in my country so this is the only shot I get. I am going to try different rearing methods on the 60+ ova I have so far to see if how big I can get the imagos. I would like to work with more than just the Dynastinae but it is a miracle to get even them.

So Alex, do you work with Carabidae mostly? I find a few Scaphinotus Sp. when out collecting wood. Scaphinotus tuberculatus and Scaphinotus angusticollis olympiae mostly. I have kept them for long periods but never tried to breed them. What can you tell me about their life cycles? (ovoposition in particular) and would you happen to have access to and exotic carabidae?

 

[8 leg wonder]

Love the pics Damon, I'll have to get some of those off of you If your future breeding atempts are successful

 

[Alex S.]

I am breeding them. These imagos are of second generation captive bred larvae. I was under the impression they were a difficult species to get to deposit ova past first generation... Or maybe the difficulty lies in having pupal emergence of both sexes at the right times? The former problem was solved with a big container and about 80L of wood in a fine mulch. After no ova were produced a couple of large logs were put on top (vertically) and they began to compact the wood beneath these. the later problem was solved by keeping the female pupa at lower temperatures.

These things are impossible to get in my country so this is the only shot I get. I am going to try different rearing methods on the 60+ ova I have so far to see if how big I can get the imagos. I would like to work with more than just the Dynastinae but it is a miracle to get even them.

So Alex, do you work with Carabidae mostly? I find a few Scaphinotus Sp. when out collecting wood. Scaphinotus tuberculatus and Scaphinotus angusticollis olympiae mostly. I have kept them for long periods but never tried to breed them. What can you tell me about their life cycles? (ovoposition in particular) and would you happen to have access to and exotic carabidae?

Hi Scavenger,

I mainly work with predacious Hemiptera (mainly Nepomorpha) such as giant water bugs (Belostomatidae) and waterscorpions (Nepidae) but also keep various other insects including Carabidae, Cicindelidae, and Dytiscidae. Thats great you find Scaphinotus as they are awesome beetles. Both S. tuberculatus and S. angusticollis are beautiful species. Scaphinotus are similar to other Carabids in that eggs are layed in the soil where larvae hatch and then remain in the soil feeding on various tiny sub-terranian animals until they are ready to pupate. Scaphinotus angusticollis adults specialize in feeding on snails and slugs (even preying on slugs two or three times their size). If you are going to captive breed them the best way would probably be to collect several adults and a large amount of natural soil and set them up in a large (10 gallon) container so they can carry out mating and the larvae can feed and pupate within the outdoor collected soil. Pretty much re-create their natural habitat in a terrarium.

Alex S.

 

[Wade]

Plant feeding (even if it's decayed plants) insects are dificult to aquire in the US due to very restictive USDA regulations that define nearly all exotic pant feeding or detitivorous insects as "potential pests".

I rear a few native scarabs, such as Dynastes tityus. Got a dozen or so pupae right now

There's a yahoo group called "livebeetle" you may want to check out. Not a super active board, but if you post a query you should get good responses.

Wade