Can a superworm with a crushed head still pupate in beetle?

[Adrinium]

Just a random question. I just gave my A. avic a superworm with a crushed head and she didn't take it and now it's just disappeared. Is it possible it burrowed and could still pupate? Not that she's going to molt anytime soon, so not worried about that. But I have had some superworms try to burrow after having their heads crushed.

 

[SuleymanC]

Just a random question. I just gave my A. avic a superworm with a crushed head and she didn't take it and now it's just disappeared. Is it possible it burrowed and could still pupate? Not that she's going to molt anytime soon, so not worried about that. But I have had some superworms try to burrow after having their heads crushed.

Are you sure she didn't start eating her? Do you see anything on her fangs?

 

[Adrinium]

Are you sure she didn't start eating her? Do you see anything on her fangs?

Nah, I checked right after I put it in and she moved and she was not eating anything, unless she was just super ultra fast lol but yeah idk where it is now!

 

[SuleymanC]

Nah, I checked right after I put it in and she moved and she was not eating anything, unless she was just super ultra fast lol but yeah idk where it is now!

You can carefully dig the substrate to find it but make sure while doing so either put her in catch cup or just do it very carefully so it doesn't bother her, even if she won't molt anytime soon it's still bad to leave uneaten food because you can see mold growing in substrate or worse you could even find mites

 

[Adrinium]

You can carefully dig the substrate to find it but make sure while doing so either put her in catch cup or just do it very carefully so it doesn't bother her, even if she won't molt anytime soon it's still bad to leave uneaten food because you can see mold growing in substrate or worse you could even find mites

Maybe I will if I see mold or anything but I'd had crickets die in unreachable spots before and since her substrate is mostly dry I never have had a mold problem with her enclosure luckily

 

[Poonjab]

Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

 

[Adrinium]

Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

If i truly believe it will survive, my brain waves will make it survive

 

[The Grym Reaper]

If you don't crush the heads properly then they'll still burrow, and may even pupate.

 

[Adrinium]

If you don't crush the heads properly then they'll still burrow, and may even pupate.

oh christ, i usually crush them so much that the head almost falls off but then they don't move. i done messed up

 

[Smotzer]

If it burrowed you likely haven’t crushed the head enough, so who knows it could still pupate.

I do just want to add that mold is not a problem.

That being said you don’t want to leave uneaten prey.

 

[Adrinium]

If it burrowed you likely haven’t crushed the head enough, so who knows it could still pupate.

I do just want to add that mold is not a problem.

That being said you don’t want to leave uneaten prey.

i'll find it eventually, hopefully

yeah i'm not particularly concerned with mold tbh

christ you got me worried as hell haha

 

[Smotzer]

i'll find it eventually, hopefully

yeah i'm not particularly concerned with mold tbh

christ you got me worried as hell haha

good you don’t need to with mold or fungi!

It’s only a huge worry as in urgent if you suspect soon premolt based on molt cycle time frame with this T. You just don’t want it also living in there.

 

[LucN]

If it disappeared into the sub, it may be weeks, even months before it pupates. Some Ts will take the wriggling pupae, others won't. Same goes for the adult beetle. If you have "garbage disposal" Ts (albo, genic, LP, etc), try to chuck the beetle in with them, but don't be surprised if they flat out refuse it.

 

[kingshockey]

Just a random question. I just gave my A. avic a superworm with a crushed head and she didn't take it and now it's just disappeared. Is it possible it burrowed and could still pupate? Not that she's going to molt anytime soon, so not worried about that. But I have had some superworms try to burrow after having their heads crushed.

yes its possible you would be surprised how much a surperworm can survive i have had them molt into beetles more than once after assuming they would be dead/die after crushing the heads only to find a beetle unexpectedly luckily my ts were not molting at the time) so i just cut the heads right off now no need to push my luck still and be one of those poor me my t got eaten its prey during a molt type stories

 

[Adrinium]

Update on this. I came home and my Avic was eting something and I was so confused because I hadn't fed her anything recently and what do you know, it's the BEETLE. Soooo yeah if you feed superworms make sure you really crush that head good lol. Luckily she actually likes it.

 

[thedragonslapper]

I had a worry like this a couple of months ago with my big LP. I’ve heard crushed head supers can still pupate though it’s unlikely. Never seen it though I don’t feed supers very often. The thought of them evading the T long enough to become beetles, even with crushed heads, makes me anxious.

 

[LucN]

Update on this. I came home and my Avic was eting something and I was so confused because I hadn't fed her anything recently and what do you know, it's the BEETLE. Soooo yeah if you feed superworms make sure you really crush that head good lol. Luckily she actually likes it.

Always nice to have a happy ending. You are lucky that your Avic took it. When disturbed, these beetles will emit a foul odor and that could be what turns most Ts off from eating them.

 

[Adrinium]

I had a worry like this a couple of months ago with my big LP. I’ve heard crushed head supers can still pupate though it’s unlikely. Never seen it though I don’t feed supers very often. The thought of them evading the T long enough to become beetles, even with crushed heads, makes me anxious.

You just gotta really go wild with crushing the head, I just kinda pinched this one because I was like oh it'll more around more! Well yeah.. it survived somehow

 

[Adrinium]

Always nice to have a happy ending. You are lucky that your Avic took it. When disturbed, these beetles will emit a foul odor and that could be what turns most Ts off from eating them.

I was very surprised! She had molted shortly before I gave the superworm and she's an adult so I wasn't worried about her molting if it did pupate.. which it did. She didn't eat very much of it though.

 

[LucN]

I was very surprised! She had molted shortly before I gave the superworm and she's an adult so I wasn't worried about her molting if it did pupate.. which it did. She didn't eat very much of it though.

I've heard of and seen larger Ts such as Genics and LPs refusing those... just because. On the flip side, my T. albopilosus will eat about anything. On two instances, I tossed a beetle in her enclosure and she was on it immediately. Goes to show some Ts are willing to eat them, some less so.