Sun Beetle as main food source?

[Chi]

Is it possible to use Sun Beetle both larva and beetle as main food source for tarantulas and scorpions? :?

 

[Gigas]

Many beetle grubs have powerful jaws which they will not hesitate to use, if the sun beetles reproduction rate is fast enough you couldgive it a try, but the jaws on larvae are pretty powerful

 

[Wade]

What are sun beetles? Do you have a latin name, that might help.

Wade

 

[Chi]

What are sun beetles? Do you have a latin name, that might help.

Wade

The type of sun beetle I'm thinking on is Pachnoda marginata peregrina.

 

[Wade]

I would guess that the larvae would be great food. The adults may be OK as well, although with more exoskeleton there's probably less food value.

Some tarantulas seem turned off by adult beetles in general, I don't know if it's the texture or some chemical componant. I've read that some chafers (a different group of scarabs) are toxic, but I don't know about these.

They're beautiful beetles, I personally would have a hard time using them as feeders, but then again thanks to our stiff import laws on insects we can't get them anyway

Wade

 

[Chi]

They're beautiful beetles, I personally would have a hard time using them as feeders...

You see I have a culture of them going on here, so that is not a problem. But I agree they are really beautiful

 

[insect714]

I wish we had more beetles here in the US Hobby...Those are sweet looking beetles.

Jon

 

[Wade]

You see I have a culture of them going on here, so that is not a problem. But I agree they are really beautiful

Yes, if I had a good culture going, I'd probably be inclined to use them as feeders as well! I understand they develop fast, most of the beetles I keep have long development times negating their usefulness as feeders.

After my last post, I happened to notice the cover of Eugene Bruins' "Encyclopedia of Terrarium" (English translation of a Dutch book) has this beetle on the cover. I looked to see what he had to say about it, and he mentions that Pachnoda larvae make good feeders. He doesn't say anything about adults, however.

Wade

 

[Chi]

Thank you