billrogers
Arachnoknight
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2016
- Messages
- 216
Well I thought I would share my story for how I got my original D. tityus female.
In 2012 I was at a young men's camp put on by my church that lasted three days. The campground we were at had a lot of forests around making it a good habitat. After the first night there when I got up someone had found a female D. tityus that came to a light during the night. Let me just say here that I had dreamed of finding one of these for years so I was beyond excited to see it. Somehow I ended up with the beetle (probably because I knew what it was). Well, I still had two days at a camp and I had to figure out how to keep her alive. That day we were going on a hike so I put her in a drinking cup with some dirt and brought her with me. I am still surprised that she did not die from the trauma she must have gone though those first few days, she barely fit in the cup! That night I made a home for her with cardboard and duck tape. Because I couldn't bring it in the cabin with watermelon in it, I put her box underneath and behind the cabin. While I was at the camp I also struck up a deal with on of the food ladies so she would give me pieces of watermelon to feed the beetle. After that, I carried the beetle around by putting her box in a bag that I took with me. I didn't take my eyes off that bag lol. Eventually, when I got home, for the first night I put her box into an empty drawer until I could set up a better long term container. In the morning she had broke through a corner of her box and was sitting on top of it. I am soooooo glad she waited until her night in my house to break free, otherwise she would have been gone and I would not have my D. tityus today. She laid about 10 eggs for me which matured in 2014. Her children laid eggs which are now all L3 larvae (and 1 pupa!).
That's my crazy story do any of you have one to share?
In 2012 I was at a young men's camp put on by my church that lasted three days. The campground we were at had a lot of forests around making it a good habitat. After the first night there when I got up someone had found a female D. tityus that came to a light during the night. Let me just say here that I had dreamed of finding one of these for years so I was beyond excited to see it. Somehow I ended up with the beetle (probably because I knew what it was). Well, I still had two days at a camp and I had to figure out how to keep her alive. That day we were going on a hike so I put her in a drinking cup with some dirt and brought her with me. I am still surprised that she did not die from the trauma she must have gone though those first few days, she barely fit in the cup! That night I made a home for her with cardboard and duck tape. Because I couldn't bring it in the cabin with watermelon in it, I put her box underneath and behind the cabin. While I was at the camp I also struck up a deal with on of the food ladies so she would give me pieces of watermelon to feed the beetle. After that, I carried the beetle around by putting her box in a bag that I took with me. I didn't take my eyes off that bag lol. Eventually, when I got home, for the first night I put her box into an empty drawer until I could set up a better long term container. In the morning she had broke through a corner of her box and was sitting on top of it. I am soooooo glad she waited until her night in my house to break free, otherwise she would have been gone and I would not have my D. tityus today. She laid about 10 eggs for me which matured in 2014. Her children laid eggs which are now all L3 larvae (and 1 pupa!).
That's my crazy story do any of you have one to share?
Great job too, by the way, with her and her offspring.