Is my beetle larvae dying?

[Weewiz]

i cant tell if my larvae is dying or not, this is my first time caring for one. He has been lying like this on top of his soil for 2 weeks now. I water it frequently to keep the humidity up. I changed his soil 5 weeks ago, im not sure if i need to maybe change it again? He slightly reacts to being touched but I dont want to touch him if hes maybe pupating. I read that if he was dying he would be shriveled/curled up and a dark color. He just looks more yellowish than he used to be. Please i am in search of anyone who knows more about what is happening to my baby.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I’m not sure I would make it a small burrow not sure if you should cover it up or not. Maybe not so you see it , two weeks it should’ve died by now. It’s probably trying to become a pupa. Does it drink water droplets if you give it some?

 

[Brewser]

What Species ?
Grubs usually want to be Hidden/Covered at this stage.

 

[Weewiz]

I’m not sure I would make it a small burrow not sure if you should cover it up or not. Maybe not so you see it , two weeks it should’ve died by now. It’s probably trying to become a pupa. Does it drink water droplets if you give it some?

i checked on it today it looks like he is pupating

 

[Weewiz]

What Species ?
Grubs usually want to be Hidden/Covered at this stage.

The species is a rainbow stag

 

[TheraMygale]

They need moisture, i am sure you know this. I thought they pupated underground… most larva do. They do get yellower as they reach pupation.

is yours underground?

how is your moisture?

maybe he just felt good on top like that, but it would be best underground to avoid dessication.

 

[Weewiz]

They need moisture, i am sure you know this. I thought they pupated underground… most larva do. They do get yellower as they reach pupation.

is yours underground?

how is your moisture?

maybe he just felt good on top like that, but it would be best underground to avoid dessication.

Hi he has moisture i keep it at the correct amount too and I kept trying to keep him buried but idk why he keeps wiggling to the top, is there a specific reason why he would be doing that

 

[TheraMygale]

Hi he has moisture i keep it at the correct amount too and I kept trying to keep him buried but idk why he keeps wiggling to the top, is there a specific reason why he would be doing that

Maybe he just likes it that way. Maybe the moisture levels are adequate. If he’s pupating, then things look like they are going well.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Hi he has moisture i keep it at the correct amount too and I kept trying to keep him buried but idk why he keeps wiggling to the top, is there a specific reason why he would be doing that

Weird , in the wild they are under rocks or logs etc . Wood i think?

 

[PillipedeBreeder]

They built pupa cells in nature in the substrate, where they can pupate safely.
Something was wrong with the substrate, that‘s why the larva didn’t built a pupa cell but went to the surface to pupate.
Best to put it into a fake pupa cell.
It will die if you bury it, as loose substrate laying on the pupa will hinder the beetle‘s movement when hatching, resulting in death or an atleast moderately crippled beetle.

The larva was in it‘s prepupa stage, which is evident by the stretched body posture, crinkled skin, the upward pointing and lack of mobility in legs, shrunken body size and movement restriced to abdomen wiggles.

 

[Weewiz]

They built pupa cells in nature in the substrate, where they can pupate safely.
Something was wrong with the substrate, that‘s why the larva didn’t built a pupa cell but went to the surface to pupate.
Best to put it into a fake pupa cell.
It will die if you bury it, as loose substrate laying on the pupa will hinder the beetle‘s movement when hatching, resulting in death or an atleast moderately crippled beetle.

The larva was in it‘s prepupa stage, which is evident by the stretched body posture, crinkled skin, the upward pointing and lack of mobility in legs, shrunken body size and movement restriced to abdomen wiggles.

thank you so much for telling me i put him in new substrate and made a cell for him and i didnt cover him all the way, just sprinkles of it.

 

[PillipedeBreeder]

thank you so much for telling me i put him in new substrate and made a cell for him and i didnt cover him all the way, just sprinkles of it.

Don‘t sprinkle substrate on it. That can cripple the hatching beetle.

 

[Weewiz]

Don‘t sprinkle substrate on it. That can cripple the hatching beetle.

the cell is blending in with the rest of the flake soil but is this better? Theres no substrate on it. Should it be laying on its back or front? (sorry i tried doing research as best i could but theres not a lot of people talking about pupa stages online)