Caring for large stag beetles / scarabs?

[Mr. Mordax]

So, apparently APHIS intercepted some large beetles recently, and is interested in donating them to a facility they know that has the proper permits. Someone from said facility wants me to talk to my insect-inclined acquaintences on here to figure out if they can care for them without a problem.

Even APHIS isn't sure what species they are, but there's three large scarab beetles and one stag. Does anyone know how to keep these guys in captivity without a problem?

Thanks for any help.

Pic: (click to zoom)

 

[Ted]

sorry..i only deal in dead specimens.
but good luck, wished i could.

 

[Dorcus]

Could you get better pictures of the three other than the one in the middle? (that's upside-down). I'll try and help identify them... The one that's upside down is Allomyrina dichotomus I'm not sure of subspecies because it really depends on locale. Anyways, you can keep them in nice substrate of soil and woodchips, and keep the soil quite moist. Put a few logs for them to climb about. Do not put them together! Also, feeding them fruit or insect jelly will be good. But make sure the fruit is not too watery, as it will be bad for their digestive systems (aka shortened life). Make sure the fruit is FRESH. They will not eat spoiled or dried up fruit. When I'm in taiwan, I usually feed them mangoes. Hey, since their lifespan is only a few months long, when they're dead, can you send them to me? I'd love to add those to my collection...

 

[Mr. Mordax]

I think the facility would rather keep them (sorry :8o).

Thanks for the info, though, and I'll pass it along. I can get a better picture of the stag and the big one (again click to zoom):

 

[Mat]

Looks like you have an Allomyrhina dichromata, a male Stag Beetle and a male of one ofthe Dynastes hercules subspecies. Treat them all as described above. They like to bury themselves in the substrate during the day, so make sure it is 3 or 4 inches deep at the minimum

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

The small male on the top left is probably also a D.hercules. I'm surprised anyone would try to bring in just males alive, seems pointless. They Dynastes can live up to a year but the dichotoma is unlikely to live seven weeks. They can be fed watered down maple syrup in a 1oz. cup filled with paper towel. Fruit tends to shorten the lives of Dynastinae.

 

[Mr. Mordax]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I'll pass on the information.

 

[galeogirl]

Isn't it kind of ironic that hobbyists aren't allowed to keep them, but that a proper research facility that can keep them has to ask us for advice about them?

 

[beetleman]

Isn't it kind of ironic that hobbyists aren't allowed to keep them, but that a proper research facility that can keep them has to ask us for advice about them?

yeah, i was just thinking the same thing,awesome beetles ofcourse:clap:

 

[Stylopidae]

Isn't it kind of ironic that hobbyists aren't allowed to keep them, but that a proper research facility that can keep them has to ask us for advice about them?

You'd think that the facility would have access to a japanese translator. If I could translate japanese, I'd be able to tell you everything you need to know in under 10 minutes.

 

[BeetleExperienc]

Beetles..

I'm more surprised that APHIS didn't know what they were. The stag I can see, but the other three... at least down to the genus...?

 

[Mr. Mordax]

All I know is that APHIS intercepted a package at an airport (I'm assuming illegally imported?) and wasn't sure what they were down to species . . . no idea how far they IDed them. Anywho, they wanted to donate them to a particular facility one of the agents was familiar with. The problem was the facility hadn't cared for large beetles before and wanted me to come on here and do some research.

Either way, they wound up going somewhere else that already knew how to keep these guys. Maybe they already have some so they can incorporate these into a breeding program?

Thanks for the help, though!

 

[BeetleExperienc]

ok..

Ok, that makes me feel better. At least (and I am very glad) they weren't destroyed.

 

[beetleman]

Ok, that makes me feel better. At least (and I am very glad) they weren't destroyed.

yeah, me too.........they live! glad they will observed and all.

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

I'm more surprised that APHIS didn't know what they were.

Hi Steven,
Wouldn't it be more strange if APHIS did know what they were? APHIS is supposed to deal with plant pests and since these aren't, it would be stranger if they were well-versed in nonpest species.

 

[BeetleExperienc]

Pests...

Hey Orin,

Anything that eats any part of any plant at any point during it's lifecycle is considered a "plant pest".

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

 

[Matt K]

All the U.S. government is supposed to do is to identify something that is "non native" and give it the boot. They don't have to know anything about it , and they are so backed up with work that to simply I.D. something can take 10 days to 3 weeks. Basically, they are more concerned with what lives in/might live in the bug, not the bug itself in most cases, per my conversation with APHIS agents via email. Consider the power of the microbe....

 

[BeetleExperienc]

..

I guess I always expect or envision them as knowing more than a layman about what they are looking at; these are considered "plant pests" (by them) though.

 

[Wade]

If it's an insect of any kind, it will likely not be allowed in, with the possible exception of some aquatics. If it eats a plant part, even dead plants, it is considered a potential pest. If it's a predator that might eat a pollinating insect (bees, butterflies etc), it is ALSO considered a pest. Even a native species that was coming from a source outside the US would also be blocked.

In short, all the APHIS agent needed to do was identify it as an insect. No further ID was needed.

Wade