# Whats the deal with Blue Death-feigning beetles?



## CustomNature (May 26, 2005)

Hey guys, I've been keeping a small group of the Blue Death-feigning beetles for a while now (Cryptoglossa verrucosus).  They have been doing really well so far on a diet of apple slices and some rolled oats, and the occasional pre-killed cricket.  The question I have is, does anyone have any info on the breeding of this species?  Like where it lays its eggs and what not??  No one anywhere, including on the web, seems to have information about this species.  Has anyone ever kept them, or knows something about them?  Any information would be appriciated.  Thanks

Reactions: Like 1


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## wickedpayara (Mar 13, 2014)

You want to keep some rotting wood in there and a small dish of moist sand with some leaf litter on it.  They will lay eggs under the moist leaves and wood. As far as breeding.  Bugs mate constantly.  But their eggs are small and they need the right medium to lay them on.


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## pannaking22 (Mar 13, 2014)

Breeding and getting eggs doesn't seem too difficult. Even rearing the larvae is pretty easy (keep like other tenebrionid larvae). The hard part is having a successful pupation and emergence. I don't think anyone has been able to do it yet. More info here and here. It seems like conditions and diet when the larva is young have an effect on pupation success. Tough species to breed, so good luck!


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## Smokehound714 (Mar 15, 2014)

Like many tenebrionids, they will not pupate as long as they're in contact with others.  When the larvae get big, isolate them.  When i bred superworms, i would remove mature larvae, and place them in isolated deli cups.


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## MrCrackerpants (Mar 17, 2014)

Smokehound714 said:


> Like many tenebrionids, they will not pupate as long as they're in contact with others.  When the larvae get big, isolate them.  When i bred superworms, i would remove mature larvae, and place them in isolated deli cups.


Are you saying this because you have got them to pupate under your care?  have isolated them and they did not pupate. I have added rotten rotting wood and they do not pupate. I have tried many variables over the last 5 years. No pupation... : ( I can't find any literature on their reproduction. I am wondering if they pupate in a Sonoran Desert cactus species.


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## Smokehound714 (Mar 20, 2014)

EDIT: Derp, im stupid. lol

  It could be that they require a plant species for pupation, good thinking!   Have you considered creosote, paloverde, or mesquite?  It would suck if they required rotting opuntia pads.  Those smell horrifying, not the somewhat-pleasant earthy scent, but one far more similar to a decomposing mammal.

 I have not successfully raised Asbolus from eggs.  I bet i could if i tried though 

  perhaps this is yet another species that strongly favors creosote bush, or something to that effect.


  It would make sense, i always see various tenebs eating fallen creosote petals.


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## MrCrackerpants (Mar 20, 2014)

Smokehound714 said:


> EDIT: Derp, im stupid. lol
> 
> It could be that they require a plant species for pupation, good thinking!   Have you considered creosote, paloverde, or mesquite?  It would suck if they required rotting opuntia pads.  Those smell horrifying, not the somewhat-pleasant earthy scent, but one far more similar to a decomposing mammal.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reply. No I have not tried creosote, paloverde, or mesquite. Are you saying add rotten wood from these species of trees or just add the leaves? Yes,  PLEASE try and get them to pupate!!


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## Smokehound714 (Mar 22, 2014)

Lol *shrug*.  I dunno.   It could simply be that their larvae need YEARS to develop.


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## MrCrackerpants (Mar 22, 2014)

Smokehound714 said:


> Lol *shrug*.  I dunno.   It could simply be that their larvae need YEARS to develop.


ok.:biggrin: I don't think so. I have gotten the larvae up to 2 inches and very thick in a matter of months. This size is consistent with the needed pupation size. I guess it is is a mystery...:biggrin: 

I have a few more ideas that I am going to try....


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## dtknow (Mar 23, 2014)

On beetleforum.net I believe Orin managed to get one to emerge-I think it just came out of a colony tank. You should be able to find the post.


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## MrCrackerpants (Mar 23, 2014)

dtknow said:


> On beetleforum.net I believe Orin managed to get one to emerge-I think it just came out of a colony tank. You should be able to find the post.


Thanks! I will try and find the thread.

UPDATE: I can't find the thread. Can you find it and post the link or if it is private can you let us know if they got the beetle larva to pupate and, if so, provide the environmental details of pupation? Thanks!! :biggrin:

NEW UPDATE: I logged in and did a complete search and could not find any information. The most complete progress is from my former experiments. Thanks for trying.:biggrin:


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## CustomNature (Mar 29, 2014)

Wow! I made the original post 9 years ago! I'm glad to see it revived though. I'd love to see these beetles  reproduce successfully in captivity, but I gave up on that possibility. I'm thinking the larvae might eat a certain species of plant root or need one for successful pupation , as was mentioned. There isn't much literature about these guys either, regarding their life cycle. MrCrackerPants: are you still keeping a colony? What is your setup like, if you don't mind me asking? Especially relative humidity and substrate dampness?


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## Lucanus95 (Mar 29, 2014)

http://beetleforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1540

Dynastes is Orin by the way.


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## MrCrackerpants (Mar 29, 2014)

Lucanus95 said:


> http://beetleforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1540
> 
> Dynastes is Orin by the way.


Thanks for the thread. When I read Orin's replies I am not getting that he got any to pupate. Maybe he will reply to this thread and let us know.

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HoldThePickle said:


> MrCrackerPants: are you still keeping a colony? What is your setup like, if you don't mind me asking? Especially relative humidity and substrate dampness?


I originally had a very complex set up (buried potatoes and carrots, etc.) that produced eggs and then larva. I tried to get the larva to pupate trying many different environments with many different variables. Nothing has worked so I gave up. I then put my 10 adults in a 10 gallon aquarium with a screen lid at 75 F. The entire aquarium is bone dry with 90% dry coir mixed with 10% shredded aspen. They do not eat the aspen. The substrate is 5 inches deep. I have one flat rock (4 X 3 inches) in the center. I keep it moist under the rock. I throw dry kibble dog food on the surface. This is all the food they get. I did this minimal set up because I wanted to keep the adults alive but did not want any more larva. Well, I checked a few weeks ago and I have 5 large (1.8 inch) larva. I was really surprised. At about 2 inches the larva die.


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## CustomNature (Apr 1, 2014)

Thanks for the reply.  Hmmm… that's really interesting.  I have 6 adults with at least 2 pairs, but can't seem to get any larva, despite having a similar setup to yours.  I have them on about 90% coco bedding and 10% sand.  Keeping them drier hasn't produced anything, so I started keeping the soil a bit more damp.  75 F Do you keep any heat lamps on them or anything?  One thing I did notice recently is that they go nuts on carrots. It made me wonder if it has anything to do with it being a root vegetable… I don't know.


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## pannaking22 (Apr 1, 2014)

This may sound odd, but could they require a large change in temp to successfully pupate? I figure that would be something they are used to in the wild and it might have an affect on CB specimens?


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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 1, 2014)

HoldThePickle said:


> Keeping them drier hasn't produced anything, so I started keeping the soil a bit more damp.  75 F Do you keep any heat lamps on them or anything?  One thing I did notice recently is that they go nuts on carrots. It made me wonder if it has anything to do with it being a root vegetable… I don't know.


It is better to have a moist spot versus most of the enclosure. No heat lamps. 70 in the winter and 75-78 F in the summer. They like carrots. Carrots and a moist spot covered with a rock or piece of wood should eventually get you some larva. You have to dig through the substrate to find the larva or they will develop and die and will not even know it.

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pannaking22 said:


> This may sound odd, but could they require a large change in temp to successfully pupate? I figure that would be something they are used to in the wild and it might have an affect on CB specimens?


Yes, this may be possible.


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