Looking for info on harlequin flower beetles.

[Kcrash]

Looking for some info on harlequin flower beetles. I just ordered 2 adults, I have some desert beetles but these beetles i know are kept very differently. Any information would be appreciated, thank you

 

[pannaking22]

They like sugary things, feed them watered down maple syrup and/or slices of fruit. If you want them to lay eggs they need a nice mix of rotting hardwood leaves and rotting hardwood to lay their eggs in. More leaves than wood and make sure they're chopped up into smaller pieces. Room temp is fine for them.

 

[davehuth]

If you're talking about Gymnetis caseyi... Mine live almost exclusively on slices of bananas. I keep them in an enclosure with deep substrate, a mix I make myself: 1/3 coconut fiber (for moisture), 1/3 decomposing oak leaves (shredded up), and 1/3 decomposing hardwood (ground up into little bits). They FILL the substrate with grubs that become new adults. I like to keep lots of sticks and vertical structure on the surface for them to climb on so I can watch them. They're very active. If you keep the enclosure more humid, they have a dusky green color. When the air gets a little more dry they turn a brighter yellow. A knowledgeable keeper told me they live a little longer if you let them stay greenish (humid). I think these are great beetles and I'm glad you're trying them out!

 

[Kcrash]

Thank you both for your input much appreciated. Looking forward to getting my shipment in this week. Is there any other beetles that could be kept with these guys ?

 

[davehuth]

Thank you both for your input much appreciated. Looking forward to getting my shipment in this week. Is there any other beetles that could be kept with these guys ?

I keep some of these beetles in a mixed communal tank containing hissing cockroaches, big millipedes, springtails, and harvestmen. That's probably more than you want to take on because that can get complicated! The popular desert Tenebrionid beetles have very different requirements, but I bet there are some forest Tenebrionids that wouldn't mind the extra humidity and rich leafy/woody substrate of Harlequins. Key would probably be choosing a species where the adults are not predators (fruitivores or some other vegetarian diet) and the larvae can live communally without eating each other or other species. I've often thought the Sun Beetles popular in Europe would be fun to try, but they're harder to come by in the states. Maybe a US native scarab with gentle larvae? I'd love to hear if you find a species that works for this!

 

[Kcrash]

I keep some of these beetles in a mixed communal tank containing hissing cockroaches, big millipedes, springtails, and harvestmen. That's probably more than you want to take on because that can get complicated! The popular desert Tenebrionid beetles have very different requirements, but I bet there are some forest Tenebrionids that wouldn't mind the extra humidity and rich leafy/woody substrate of Harlequins. Key would probably be choosing a species where the adults are not predators (fruitivores or some other vegetarian diet) and the larvae can live communally without eating each other or other species. I've often thought the Sun Beetles popular in Europe would be fun to try, but they're harder to come by in the states. Maybe a US native scarab with gentle larvae? I'd love to hear if you find a species that works for this!

Thanks that's good to know. My father has a few different types of millipedes and I have a few Madagascar hissing roach nymphs. I would like to set up a nice 10 gallon with a few different things at some point.

 

[davehuth]

Thanks that's good to know. My father has a few different types of millipedes and I have a few Madagascar hissing roach nymphs. I would like to set up a nice 10 gallon with a few different things at some point.

I keep only male hissers in my communal tank, because a population explosion would throw things out of whack. In fact, I misjudged how prolifically the G. caseyi would reproduce, and ended up with way too many grubs than I'm comfortable with for the millies (millipedes are vulnerable to being trampled when they're molting underground). So I removed the beetles to replace with an all-males population (and will be carefully picking out the grubs for a while). So that's what I meant when I said it can be "complicated" :-D I find it very rewarding though. Luckily any harm these gentle species might do would be accidental, rather than the havoc of setting a predator loose in there like a centipede or something!

 

[Kcrash]

I keep only male hissers in my communal tank, because a population explosion would throw things out of whack. In fact, I misjudged how prolifically the G. caseyi would reproduce, and ended up with way too many grubs than I'm comfortable with for the millies (millipedes are vulnerable to being trampled when they're molting underground). So I removed the beetles to replace with an all-males population (and will be carefully picking out the grubs for a while). So that's what I meant when I said it can be "complicated" :-D I find it very rewarding though. Luckily any harm these gentle species might do would be accidental, rather than the havoc of setting a predator loose in there like a centipede or something!

Thank you again for the info cant wait till they come in, hopefully Wednesday