Titan Beetle Breeding? (Titanus giganteus)

[WeightedAbyss75]

Just a question I have wanted to ask for a while. Beetle breeding is pretty popular, especially with “the giants”. I see plenty of info on breeding many giant stag beetle species, Atlas Beetles and Goliath Beetles, some of the biggest insects on the planet. However, I fail to find any info on breeding another world record giant, Titanus giganteus or the “Titan Beetle”. Is it just not common? Difficult to breed? I figured it, like the Goliath and Atlas beetles, would have had more popularity/success due to its size and power. Anyone know why they are more of an enigma than the others? Just curious

 

[Arthroverts]

Likely because they are illegal to import into the US, the larvae have never been found, and because they are illegal to get in the US.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[mantisfan101]

Since the titan beetle is a longhorn beetle, it most likely feeds on the roots of trees to survive. Also, they spend years in their larval stage and only live for a couple months as adults, which makes raising them kind of pointless.

 

[Patherophis]

@Arthroverts American laws play no role in this, they would be kept in Europe and Asia if it was possible.

AFAIK their larvae havent been found yet, but considering ecology of related Prioninae, they would be extremely difficult or impossible to breed.

 

[Arthroverts]

@Patherophis, my meaning was that even if they could be kept in captivity, they would not be let into the US.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

It might be possible to breed them. I know Batocera have been bred in captivity, so it is theoretically possible. I personally enjoy the little longhorns, but I do not find them that interesting. I would put the effort into rearing more African cetoniids if it was an option.

 

[Arthroverts]

@The Mantis Menagerie, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schaumburg,_Illinois
I made the same mistake originally, ha ha.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

@The Mantis Menagerie, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schaumburg,_Illinois
I made the same mistake originally, ha ha.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

I am sorry I doubted you. With a name like that, though, one needs to at least put US or IL next to it!

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

It might be possible to breed them. I know Batocera have been bred in captivity, so it is theoretically possible. I personally enjoy the little longhorns, but I do not find them that interesting. I would put the effort into rearing more African cetoniids if it was an option.

who bred Batocera?!?

It would be amazing to see one of the giant species like B. kibleri or B. hercules alive.

 

[Arthroverts]

@The Mantis Menagerie, no need to apologize. I made the same mistake, and I completely agree with you. Maybe it is @WeightedAbyss75's way to keep us all from swarming his/her house to get G. cafforum!

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[The Mantis Menagerie]

who bred Batocera?!?

It would be amazing to see one of the giant species like B. kibleri or B. hercules alive.

Batocera was mentioned in the Ultimate Guide to Breeding Beetles.

 

[MemeMachine]

It'd be very difficult to get started though. I don't anyone has record of seeing the larvae so their biology is largely unknown. The adult females are also hard to find as well.

 

[WeightedAbyss75]

@The Mantis Menagerie, no need to apologize. I made the same mistake, and I completely agree with you. Maybe it is @WeightedAbyss75's way to keep us all from swarming his/her house to get G. cafforum!

Thanks,

Arthroverts

Forgot to even change my location, since I moved recently If people want some, they can have them!

In my limited research, I have never even seen a picture of female Titanus. For such a large and infamous species/family of beetles, I’m surprised they have eluded entomologists so well that we don’t even know what the larvae are. We’re there any recent efforts to find any larvae?

 

[pannaking22]

Forgot to even change my location, since I moved recently If people want some, they can have them!

In my limited research, I have never even seen a picture of female Titanus. For such a large and infamous species/family of beetles, I’m surprised they have eluded entomologists so well that we don’t even know what the larvae are. We’re there any recent efforts to find any larvae?

Females are actually commonly unknown in Prioninae because in many cases they're more secretive and less prone to wander/fly than the males that are searching for them.

Some interesting reading in case you haven't found these posts yet.
https://beetlesinthebush.com/2014/10/27/my-first-experience-with-prionus-lure/
https://beetlesinthebush.com/2014/11/21/how-to-catch-bucket-loads-of-prionus-fissicornis/
https://beetlesinthebush.com/2015/02/16/just-how-widespread-is-prionus-heroicus/