Has anyone kept Giant water bugs?

[Wade]

I'd go with wet java moss over paper towels. Paper towels tend to disintergrate when wet, and this may harm the insects. Moist sphagnum would probably work as well. I'd avoid having any acual water in there, as they may drown in shipping.

Wade

 

[Mr. Mordax]

Ok, here's the size picture that someone wanted:

 

[dtknow]

Great photo! Looks like those eggs are due any day now.

 

[Mr. Mordax]

I didn't realize it at the time, but the one I photographed is the stripe-morph. Half the babies from that batch will have the stripe (it's a lot more visible in the nymphs).

ARG!! I just tried finding some pictures for you, but the OSU College of Science website is down . . . the two main buildings for those departments still don't have power after the big wind storm we had last night.

 

[dtknow]

Interesting on the stripe. I can see it all right.

 

[Mr. Mordax]

At last count he had 101 eggs on his back. I'm getting excited.

 

[dtknow]

Impressive. So the female every once in a while lays a few on his back? I always thought it was just done in one deal.

And I recall you have several males with eggs.

 

[Mr. Mordax]

That's what I thought too, but the numbers keep growing, and every now and then I'll notice fresh eggs (they're lighter in color). And of my five males, three of them had eggs the last I looked. I could easily wind up with over 200 babies.

 

[Wade]

Once a male looks like he's fully loaded, I find it's much easier to remove him and set him up in a small, simple tank by himself until the eggs hatch. That way, when the eggs hatch, the nymphs will be easy to separate. Also, they will not be eaten by the other adults which seems to happen within hours when allowed to hatch in the main tank. After hatching, the male knocks the eggshells off his back and he can be moved back wiith the other adults.

Wade

 

[Mr. Mordax]

Ok . . . Thanks for the tip, Wade! The grad student also mentioned at one point that the males exhibit supressed appetites when they're carrying eggs as an infanticide prevention measure. So they should be really safe for the time it takes to put them in their own cups.

 

[Wade]

The males that were carrying the eggs don't go after the nymphs right away, but the other adults in the tank won't be so picky! I've got a group of 8 adults producing, so I have to pull those males out when they get egg-laden.

Wade

 

[dtknow]

update from either of you?

 

[Mr. Mordax]

Not yet . . . four of the five males had eggs last I looked, and the rest love their mealworms, but no hatchouts yet.

 

[nepenthes]

what are you gonna do with all the young ones?

 

[Mr. Mordax]

First, I'll put them in separate containers to curb cannibalism. Then I'll ask the grad student for the all-clear to sell them (since they're from his lab originally, and I need to OK it with him), and if I get it, I'll try selling some on here. I'll first post in this thread.

And I'll save the stripe-morph babies to see if I can do some selective breeding and raise a population of "fancy" water bugs. Maybe I can charge more like Petco does for the faintail bettas .

 

[Wade]

Be sure to hold back a good number of babies. Raising these things is like raising mantids. There's always going to be losses, so it's a good idea to keep way more than you hope to end up with, to cover losses. In other words, if you want to end up with a dozen adult breeders, then I'd keep at least three times that many. If you loose a lot along then way, you should have enough survivors to keep the breeding going. On the other hand, f you do well and end up with more adults than planned, you can sell the surplus then for a higher price.

Wade

 

[Mr. Mordax]

Ok. Thanks for the advice, Wade.

 

[funnylori]

I have some aquatic plants that you can have to keep with them if you would like. They have been growing isolated from the world in an old betta bowl covered with plastic wrap. They don't need much water circulation and could make good foot holds for the buggers.

 

[Mr. Mordax]

That could have more decorative potential than the big ol' rocks I have them on now.

 

[funnylori]

Yes, a more natural feel... Plus it will get them off my dining room table. You know in the wild they climb onto the grasses and such. Maybe we could plant a cool aqua/terrarium for them... Just a thought.