Gromphadorhina portentosa (giant morph)

[petshopguy]

I have read that the giant morph hissers are normal hissers (G.portentosa), bred such that the gene that determines large size is focused on for breeding. Does this mean that any really large portentosa (3.5-4") can be culled from the colony and kept separate to breed the large morphs? Also, does anyone know if the gene for large size is seen in both heterozygous and homozygous dominant genes?

 

[Matt K]

Simply put, you are on to the right answer. Keep a colony of giants together and never cull the smaller ones and you will eventually have a batch of complete normals. Similarly, get a batch of normals and keep the larger ones and eventually you may have giants, though this takes alot of generations to achieve, and alot less generations for the reverse. Same goes for G.portentosa 'black'.

 

[petshopguy]

Thanks, Matt. I had a feeling that was the case and I wanted to make sure that I didn't allow for mixed breeding.