# Dung Beetle (Phanaeus) Questions.



## Camden (Mar 23, 2012)

Always interested in these guys, I read that dung is only necessary for breeding, otherwise feed it soft fruits. Is this correct?

What temperature would they be kept at? Same as "pretty much" any other bug/beetle? (room temp.)

How big of an enclosure/how deep should the substrate be? Any info you know is appreciated as there is little to no information on the web on them. But I'll be buying a book on them..as soon as I have the money.  Thanks.


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## Tarac (Mar 23, 2012)

I've used a mashed combination of banana and applesauce.  They love it.  Dynastes and Rhynchophorus species as well.  

Not sure about indoor care, they're very abundant here and I have always reared them on my porch outside where it is easily 90+ F during the summer, although it is all enclosed (screen and block) so no direct sunlight or unwanted guests.  

Main problem with most fruity diets is they begin to smell quite terrible quickly- a mixture of vinegary rotting smells.  Not so nice.  

The media I made for the Rhynchophorus grubs smelled way worse though- brewer's yeast, pineapple and physiologic salts plus agar.  Nasty nasty stuff after just a few days and you have to leave them in the same cup for weeks.


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## Camden (Mar 23, 2012)

Tarac said:


> I've used a mashed combination of banana and applesauce.  They love it.  Dynastes and Rhynchophorus species as well.
> 
> Not sure about indoor care, they're very abundant here and I have always reared them on my porch outside where it is easily 90+ F during the summer, although it is all enclosed (screen and block) so no direct sunlight or unwanted guests.
> 
> ...


thanks for the reply  so they'd need to be kept rather hot? or would they be fine indoors?


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## BeetleExperienc (Mar 27, 2012)

Camden,

    Indoors is fine - I've even kept a P. vindex colony indoors that were being fed dung. Substrate and container size will not really matter if you are not interested in breeding them. 


Steven



"The Complete Guide to Rearing The Rainbow Scarab and Other Dung Beetles"


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## Galapoheros (Mar 27, 2012)

That's strange, I just dug up a male and a female Sunday out of my backyard, looked just like vindex but a bit smaller and solid black, really long horn on the male(texas, what sps?).  I put them in a cup but they flew out, got lazy about taking a pic.  Deer dung isn't that bad.


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## Camden (Mar 27, 2012)

BeetleExperienc said:


> Camden,
> 
> Indoors is fine - I've even kept a P. vindex colony indoors that were being fed dung. Substrate and container size will not really matter if you are not interested in breeding them.


thanks! but to answer my main curiosity. do they need dung to live? or just to breed? oh and another question, how long do they live as adults?


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## BeetleExperienc (Mar 29, 2012)

Hey Galapoheros - hope you are doing well!  The Phanaeus you found would be P. triangularis.



Steven


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## Bugs In Cyberspace (Apr 20, 2012)

Shot a little video:

[YOUTUBE]f_3kcwUH344[/YOUTUBE]


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## Galapoheros (Apr 21, 2012)

Doing just fine Steven, thanks for the ID, you nailed it.  Oh man, vindex, what a nice looking beetle, amazing colors.  I used to dig them up on a ranch when there used to be cattle on it but I never tried to raise them.  It just seemed like it would be hard to do.  btw I used to find small ones and some that were pretty dang large.  The largest one found me while it was in flight, ran right into me.


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