Platymeris cannabalism?

[Beardo]

I just recently got my first batch of Platymeris biguttatta and have already had a bad experience with them eating each other as nymphs.....I purchased ten of them from a dealer here on the boards and only received six due to them eating one another in transit (or so I was told)....I just came from work and counted them again and now I only have 5......should I seperate them into their own individual containers? All the info I have read says they are communal.....just my luck, eh?

 

[Gsc]

Hey Dave- I've just ordered some myself (they'll be arriving next week). From what I've heard they're pretty safe as adults together but sometimes eat eachother as babies---then again you read of colonies where there are different ages all living together.... ??? I wish I had an answer for ya but i just donn't have the experience yet with 'em. Good luck.

 

[catfishrod69]

yes seperate them until they are adults...i had 140 hatch out, traded 40, now im down to 6....they like to eat the ones that are molting...just keep them seperate until they are adults then you can throw them in together...

 

[Introvertebrate]

May I ask what you guys are feeding your Platymeris biguttatta? I understand that crickets and roaches are fine for adults. What about newborn nymphs? Do you have to start them off with fruit flies before the can handle larger prey? D. melanogaster? D. hydei?

 

[catfishrod69]

i fed mine tiny crickets and baby latteralis roaches...they can take down prey alot bigger than they are....trust me it will amaze you at what they can take down...if you dont have any of those contact BrothaT....he will sell you alot of baby latteralis nymphs....good luck...let me know what you do

May I ask what you guys are feeding your Platymeris biguttatta? I understand that crickets and roaches are fine for adults. What about newborn nymphs? Do you have to start them off with fruit flies before the can handle larger prey? D. melanogaster? D. hydei?

 

[Takumaku]

Intro,

Pinhead crickets or nymphs roaches are fine for newborn Platymeris biguttatta. I have even had them eat a freshly killed cricket without a problem.

 

[Envyizm]

I always keep around half the number of feeders as I have Platymeris in the enclosure and I've never had a case of cannibalism. The amount of water offered may also have a lot to do with cannibalism. If they are dehydrated, they'll be more likely to kill each other for the moisture.

 

[Matt K]

I have had a couple species of Platymeris, and only had cannabalism when there was some neglect to the bugs. From my experience, if they are well fed and misted down every 3rd day or so, a whole buch of nymphs will dwell together just fine until adults.
That being said though, I would never ever ship nymphs in the same container! One bug per one vial/container. In the shipping they will want something for food or water, or just get startled, and will cannibalize. I have had upwards of 200 in the same cage without much or any losses. And they can feed on something significantly larger than they are too (10x or more). I start tiny ones on one-third grown crickets, and when they get about the same size as the cirx I give them 2/3rds grown or adults, or roaches of some sort (B.dubia, Blaberus sp., lobsters, etc.)

 

[Beardo]

I went ahead and seperated the nymphs I have for the time being just to be safe.....I waited too long to get them to have them eat each other lol.

 

[catfishrod69]

thats a good idea...i seperated mine too...cause mine dropped from like 100 to 6....im just gonna raise em til adults then throw em in with the parents....

I went ahead and seperated the nymphs I have for the time being just to be safe.....I waited too long to get them to have them eat each other lol.

 

[Introvertebrate]

Thanks for the feeder replies.