Raising phoenix worms

[bugmankeith]

Hi, I was reading that phoenix worms are fly larvae, and in the wild they are decomposers eating rotting plant and animal matter.

I was wondering could they survive on a diet of meat and vegetable baby food, and how do I feed them this without them getting stuck in it, can they live in rotting food like fruit fly maggots do?

 

[bugmankeith]

I read further, and being they are native to the US and I recall seeing wild adults, could I just feed them decaying leaf litter from a local wooded area, the organic matter you find loads of earthworms living in?

 

[Pro_bug_catcher]

This site from Brazil talks about raising them:
http://www.esrla.com/brazil/frame.htm

This other discussion also talks about it:
http://repticzone.com/forums/Worms-KeepingandBreeding/messages/629263.html

Seems hard to do.

 

[Pro_bug_catcher]

This guy did it:
http://www.windward.org/notes/notes66/walt66-7.htm

I'm inclined to believe him when he says a hard part is to get past the "yuck" factor.

 

[bugmankeith]

I tried some beef & vegetable baby food and the white larvae turned hard and black this morning, but were very alive. I am trying the leaf litter too, i'm not willing to make a compost bin.

 

[GunOffSafety]

See http://thebiopod.com/