Horse Lubber Grasshopper care?

[Tom Lurid]

I recently bought a pair of Horse Lubber Grasshoppers at the Tucson Reptile show. They are strikingly beautiful, and I am excited to attempt breeding them.

However, I have little knowledge on caring for these guys (I've always been more of a taratula guy). From what I understand, they'll eat almost anything, from dogfood to vegtables, but I was told they do best with about 2 inches of sand (?) and can be cannibalistic if no food is around.

So, primary questions I have would be if sand is the best substrate, or if coconut fiber will do. Also, do I keep them together for breeding, or seperate them and only put them together supervised everynow and then. any other specific information would be very helpful.

Thanks

 

[Bugs In Cyberspace]

Mix potting soil (no fertilizers, etc.) with some sand and even some coconut fiber is good to retain some humidity at depths.

As for breeding, let us know. I've had them lay eggs but haven't quite given the eggs the attention they needed after that. So many trips to Arizona, I just don't pay attention to these bugs I can collect every year. Really my favorite grasshoppers in the US (that are ever seen in captivity). I have four females myself right now. Here's an old video, for fun. You can see my setup, composite substrate and thermometer.

[YOUTUBE]PFchWzKM0yc[/YOUTUBE]

 

[MrCrackerpants]

I grabbed a few from my desert today. I'll let ya know if I get babies.

 

[Bugs In Cyberspace]

I saw oviposition a few times since my last post! It is amazing how far the females can telescope their abdomens when laying egg masses (often up against the glass, sub-surface).