Blue Blue Blue!

Jacob Ma

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 2, 2016
Messages
281
You can keep dragonflies in captivity, as larvae! I don't know about breeding, but you can try putting some in a greenhouse and raising flies for them to eat. It's just not conventional to raise an actively flying species, which I wish there were some way to do so.
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
Messages
4,226
It might be possible to keep damselflies in captivity since they're smaller and don't fly as much or as far as dragonflies, but it would probably still be a challenge. I'd guess that the bluets (like the one in your link) would be one of the easier ones to keep!
 

Jacob Ma

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 2, 2016
Messages
281
It might be possible to keep damselflies in captivity since they're smaller and don't fly as much or as far as dragonflies, but it would probably still be a challenge. I'd guess that the bluets (like the one in your link) would be one of the easier ones to keep!
You'd think that they don't fly as far, but let me assure you they do fly far for their size. Perhaps if you set up a 50+ gallon tank and put a bunch of them in there with some other aquatic inverts as well, it would look pretty interesting.

The main drawback is that they tend to fly upwards and long, so they might not like terrarium covers.
 

WeightedAbyss75

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
921
The next huge project should be a terrarium that is 200+ gallons, filled up with inverts that would normally be hard to keep, like dragon/damsel flies. I would pay good money to see a huge dragonfly pond type vivarium. Just don't know how'd you get in and out without letting some go eventually! ;)
 

Tenodera

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
486
Honestly I'd probably just elect to do free-range... Get a large basin of water, put it in a room with many houseplants, and then be content with flies in your house as a byproduct of feeding them. I can't help but think that they'd become stuck on trying to get out through the windows, though, like some butterflies in butterfly pavilions still do.
 

Ellenantula

Arachnoking
Joined
Sep 14, 2014
Messages
2,009
Honestly I'd probably just elect to do free-range
I do that with praying mantises. Winter their pod (?) over in winter, and when they hatch -- release outside. And then all summer when I see one, I figure it's one of mine and feel insanely proud. lol
Of course, they're quite a bit cheaper than the lovely blue OP posted to be raising them strictly for outside release....
I like the idea of them in a greenhouse though.
 

blacksheep998

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Messages
65
I hear flat millipedes tend to do poorly in captivity, unfortunately. Millipedes are illegal to import into the US too :'(
Most don't. But I do have a population of flat-back millipedes that live in my Dieffenbachia planter. Not technically 'in captivity' I suppose but they do spend almost half the year in my kitchen. I don't usually see them unless the soil gets too dry, then they start wandering.

You're right that the blue ones probably wouldn't do well though.
 
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