Can i feed my warrior beetle just waxworms as a staple diet?

misterwolfgang

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Right now im just feeding them crickets but they dont seem to like them very much and have never really actually tried to go after them. Is it alright if i switch over to waxworms as a staple diet? i know people feed them mealworms as well so i was wondering if there was much of a difference or if it would be healthy to feed them just waxworms.
 

BobBarley

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Perfectly fine, just make sure to vary their diet once in a while with different prey items. They will also accept washed and pesticide free fruits (mostly the sweet ones i.e. Bananas).
 

basin79

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Right now im just feeding them crickets but they dont seem to like them very much and have never really actually tried to go after them. Is it alright if i switch over to waxworms as a staple diet? i know people feed them mealworms as well so i was wondering if there was much of a difference or if it would be healthy to feed them just waxworms.
Waxworms are fatty and aren't good as a staple.
 

basin79

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Perfectly fine, just make sure to vary their diet once in a while with different prey items. They will also accept washed and pesticide free fruits (mostly the sweet ones i.e. Bananas).
Really? I've always read waxworms aren't suitable as staple feeders due to their fat content.
 

misterwolfgang

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Perfectly fine, just make sure to vary their diet once in a while with different prey items. They will also accept washed and pesticide free fruits (mostly the sweet ones i.e. Bananas).
So, every now and then i should give them crickets?
 

BobBarley

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Really? I've always read waxworms aren't suitable as staple feeders due to their fat content.
Same thats why i wanted to make sure first, but maybe its only bad for certain species and animals.
We know so little about most predatory invertebrates' nutritional needs. It is true that waxworms are not suitable as a staple feeder for reptiles, but we aren't talking reptiles here. Waxworms can be fed to t's as a staple, and as long as the Pasimachus is offered a varied diet, it will most likely be fine. Also, if you do some preliminary research on Pasimachus, you will find them listed as predators of caterpillars, beetle larvae, etc. Waxworms fit that description perfectly. Any evidence otherwise is very much appreciated.:)
 

basin79

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We know so little about most predatory invertebrates' nutritional needs. It is true that waxworms are not suitable as a staple feeder for reptiles, but we aren't talking reptiles here. Waxworms can be fed to t's as a staple, and as long as the Pasimachus is offered a varied diet, it will most likely be fine. Also, if you do some preliminary research on Pasimachus, you will find them listed as predators of caterpillars, beetle larvae, etc. Waxworms fit that description perfectly. Any evidence otherwise is very much appreciated.:)
Pity I can only give one rating. Thanks for that.
 

Jacob Ma

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Mealworms do provide more protein than do waxworms, which predatory animals need more protein than herbivorous or detritivorous ones. However, mealworms have less calcium than the alternative, so that should also be taken into consideration.
 

BobBarley

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Mealworms do provide more protein than do waxworms, which predatory animals need more protein than herbivorous or detritivorous ones. However, mealworms have less calcium than the alternative, so that should also be taken into consideration.
So a varied diet would be best, correct?
 

Marijan2

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Also to add, proteins(and calcium in beetels/crustaceans) are mainly used for growing and in females when they make eggs. If the animal is already on its max or near max size, it won't need as much proteins since they don't grow as intensly anymore. Instead they need more fats/sugars to keep themselves energized and moving
 

ErinM31

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I have maintained Pasimachus for a long time with waxworms, but I imagine it would be a good idea to mix it up with mealworms or other prey. :)
 

Introvertebrate

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Okay. I see where it mentions the fat content, but I don't see where it says that its bad. I did see this however:

"Fats have a higher caloric content (9 kcal/g) than proteins (4 kcal/g) or
carbohydrates (4 kcal/g), thus providing a more concentrated energy source. In addition,
the oxidation of fats yields twice the metabolic water of carbohydrates [Downer
and Matthews, 1976] and may provide a dietary source of water for those animals
consuming mainly larvae."
 
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