Keeping Gelastocoridae?

[Josh999]

Hello all, I'm coming to the realization that no one else keeps Gelastocoridae(toad bugs). Anyone know of a particular reason for this? I've been keeping a few all summer and so far they've proven to be relatively easy captives.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

I love toad bugs, I've been wanting to keep them for years but I can't find them in Massachusetts (even though they supposedly occur here).

What's your experience been with cannibalism?

 

[spotropaicsav]

following...have seen these rarely in my lifetime, but have never heard of any one keeping them...would be interested to find out

 

[Josh999]

I love toad bugs, I've been wanting to keep them for years but I can't find them in Massachusetts (even though they supposedly occur here).

What's your experience been with cannibalism?

I don't know about the Northeast, but they're quite pravelent here in Missouri. As for cannibalism, I did collect a very young one with the adults when I organically caught them and he died a few days in. It's hard to say if it was cannibalism or just the fragility of youth, but it did appear "shriveled" to some degree. But they definitely don't/can't eat their own size.

 

[Josh999]

following...have seen these rarely in my lifetime, but have never heard of any one keeping them...would be interested to find out

Depending on where you are, they may not be very common there. Plus, they have GREAT camouflage. I keep them in a plastic tub with sloping sand and a little bit of water on the low end of the sand. I keep the top open so the humidity doesn't get super high. I feed them fruit flies every day or every other day. They haven't bred for me, but they've been alive since early June.

 

[MatisIsLoveMantisIsLyf]

Would be very interesting and possible! Most carnivorous insects do well in captivity!