Anyone know how to breed harvestmen?

[MantidMaster]

I caught some Leiobunum sp. around the Anza-Borrego area, and I'm curious as to how to breed them. I've had them for 3 weeks with no casualties, and feed on precrushed crickets and beetle jellies. I plan on trying fruit today. Anyways, I am keeping nine of them in a single container on half an inch of coco fiber, and I wanted to learn how to breed them. I'm awfully sure that these don't lay eggs in coco fibre, so I'd like more insight on the subject. Thank you.

 

[BepopCola]

I'm not sure about Leiobunum sp., but I've had success in breeding V. ornata.
Well, they just kind of breed without me having to do anything.
I kept them with millipedes.
They had damp soil (I think they might lay eggs in damp soil), hides, and cholla wood.
They also seem to like apples and apple dog treats quite a bit.

 

[Vanisher]

What kind of men is that? Well i guess it is like the classic way! Harvestman goes out to a nightclub, meets a women, they maybe eat a romantic dinner with wine and candeleer! Then they book a nice hotelroom and one thing leads to another!

 

[Vanisher]

Joke aside, i havnt got a clue!

 

[BepopCola]

What kind of men is that? Well i guess it is like the classic way! Harvestman goes out to a nightclub, meets a women, they maybe eat a romantic dinner with wine and candeleer! Then they book a nice hotelroom and one thing leads to another!

Haha,

They were Ornate Harvestmen - Vonones ornata

I usually found babies in a pile of charcoal or in the cholla wood. Maybe they like the security or maybe it's for the mites/springtails

 

[Vanisher]

Yes, i have loads of these whete i live! Has someone successfully bred those in captivety before??? It would be intresting to know!

 

[draconisj4]

I have Vonones ornata, they just bred on their own. I didn't do anything special I keep mine on moist soil with cork bark that has leaves and moss glued to it propped up so they have molting space, limited ventilation, room temperature and a shallow water dish with gravel in it so the babies don't drown. I've seen them drink from the dish. I also have springtails and dwarf white isopods in with them. They do seem to like apples and once a week I give them disabled pinhead red runners.

 

[MantidMaster]

I have Vonones ornata, they just bred on their own. I didn't do anything special I keep mine on moist soil with cork bark that has leaves and moss glued to it propped up so they have molting space, limited ventilation, room temperature and a shallow water dish with gravel in it so the babies don't drown. I've seen them drink from the dish. I also have springtails and dwarf white isopods in with them. They do seem to like apples and once a week I give them disabled pinhead red runners.

Sounds nice! How deep was your substrate at the time? How many individuals did you keep in the container(the size would be helpful as well). I know this is a lot of questions for a different species, but you kinda made me curious as to their breeding. Tell me more

 

[draconisj4]

Sounds nice! How deep was your substrate at the time? How many individuals did you keep in the container(the size would be helpful as well). I know this is a lot of questions for a different species, but you kinda made me curious as to their breeding. Tell me more

I started with 2 in a 4" square container with just an inch of very moist cocofiber and some bark and springtails. I misted every 3 days or so.There was only a 1" square covered with plastic canvas in the top for ventilation. I was shocked to find babies after a bit, lol. I had gotten these as pets, no idea they were a pair. They actually bred best in that setup.

There got to be way too many springtails in it so I rehoused them there were 18 adults and juveniles in that enclosure. I moved them into a small Kritter keeper with about 2" of soil substrate. I lined the inside of the lid with 14 mesh plastic canvas to keep the babies inside and then covered the top with plastic wrap leaving only the 2 end panels open. They bred fine in there also but the baby survival rate dropped. I have dwarf isopods that bred ridiculously fast in this one so I think maybe that might have something to do with it, plus it doesn't retain moisture that well even with the lid mostly covered.

I only see eggs and babies in the spring and have only found 2 babies so far this year and don't see any eggs. I don't know how many are in there now, I don't think many of last years babies survived and there have been a couple adult deaths, but that could be from old age as I don't know how long they live and most of them are 2 years old now. I'm going to move them into a different enclosure that will hold moisture better as soon as I have the time and see if that helps. There is also the possibility of cannabalism even though they are communal, I haven't witnessed it but there is always the possibility. It was much easier for them to find their food in the tiny enclosure.