Zoophobas

[Vys]

How do these things breed? I mean, my brother bought 80 or so, and kept them in a container half filled with peat.
We (thought we) took the last one out a week ago, but there's at least twenty of them now (never changed the substrate). Now, I take it they can't breed when they are larvae, so do they turn into beetles underground and breed underground?
How small are really small zoophobas?

 

[Code Monkey]

The beetles actually require something special that escapes me at the moment to pupate and emerge, but they behave much like mealworm beetles when thety do (running about the surface).

The likely explanation for what you are seeing is that smaller larvae whose development was inhibited are now growing up. I'm sure when they set up these cultures all they do is put so many adults in a giant tub of substrate and then scoop it into containers once it gets going.

 

[Vys]

*Ponders*
Not impossible. They'd have to be tiny though, the late ones.

So some tiny worms kind of hung around in the background, and when the scene was clear (no more big worms) they grew big?

 

[Buspirone]

I read people claiming they need to be stressed into pupating but really they need to be isolated from other larvae. The common pratice is to place individual larvae into film canisters or similar sized containers with some substrate and a carrrot slice. Another method is to provide a solid peice of styrofoam or cork that the larvae can tunnel into and create their own pupation chamber.

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Vys
*Ponders*
Not impossible. They'd have to be tiny though, the late ones.

So some tiny worms kind of hung around in the background, and when the scene was clear (no more big worms) they grew big?

Consider that when they hatch you're talking a worm that's maybe a millimeter in length and a fraction of that in diameter and it should be easy to see how you can miss them. It's not uncommon, either through chemical inhibitors or simply environmental inhibitors, for such mechanisms to exist in populations; the big ones keep the smaller ones smaller.

 

[Vys]

Ah.


And Buspirone, good to know, half of my beetle-experiments usually die.

 

[pronty]

I grow my own zoophobas. I usually buy about 5 or 10 worms at a time because they cost like 70 cents apiece at the pet shop.
I keep the worms in a box with oatmeal. Sometimes I move some of the biggest worms into a more peaceful box with peat. They will pupate there. After they have turned into beetles, I put all of them into the breeding box with peat or moss. The beetles will dig into the ground and lay their eggs on the bottom of the box, and since I have a clear box, I can see the eggs from below. After they have laid a good number of eggs, I move them into another breeding box and let the eggs develope. After the worms have hatched and grown a little, I have a worm hunt and catch them into a small box with oatmeal.

 

[Nixy]

Buy one of those little compartmentalized boxes.
The ones that are for sewing and such. Or get a bunch of little deli cups, bottles such and the like.
Superworms have to be seperated and isolated for them to pupate.
They won't do so in a group.
I think it's because they sense a large population of worms.
Once you seperate them into a little plain substrate alone.
You'll see them curl.
After awhile.
They Will pupate.
Then turn into beetles.
You toss the beetles into a conatiner of outs or rice. ( I use puffed rice plain cerial....)
Beetles are happy. Toss a piece of potato in the corner for moister for them.
We have ten beetles as of this afternoon. .
Beetles live for about 40 days so I've read.

Good luck.

 

[Nixy]

Sectioned box with a bunch in various stages.

 

[Nixy]

Curled worm. Once they do this they're on they're way.

 

[Nixy]

From worm to pupe.

Takes a few weeks to go form here to beetles.

 

[Nixy]

Freshly beetlefied.
They start out paler.
Then deepen to black.
They are awsome when they are in their ruby tones.

 

[Nixy]

One of our adults.
I've read that males have horn like nubs.
But this one and the next are definatly male and female.
I haveseen These two breeding so.....

But I still don't see a real difference....

 

[Nixy]

And the other.
If you see a difference Please point it out to me. LOL.