I have had these for a few years now, and they are not the easiest darkling beetles to culture. They do not have the best pupal survival rates. They eat dog food, fruits and veggies. The substrate is coconut fiber and sand. I keep them dry with a moist corner. The adults can live 2+ years. Here are some pictures!
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| Male |
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| Female |
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| Captive bred male with leg deformity. (The leg is much smaller than it should be). |
I am pupating 4-5 of the larva right now, and hopefully I should have some healthy captive bred adults soon. That's all for today, hope you guys enjoyed! :)
Is this species easy to rear from larva to adult, or do they often die in the middle of their pupa or prepupa stage?
ReplyDeleteThey will die if conditions are too humid during pupation. But are otherwise easy to pupate as long as you can keep conditions semi-humid.
DeleteAlright, thank you.
DeleteWhat is the average length for a prepupal Eleodes armata larva? I have one that is One and a half inches in length, which has slowed down significantly and looks like it is about to molt. I am unsure if it is about to molt into its pupa stage or not. I need to know if it is, so I can keep it moister when it molts into a pupa.
ReplyDeleteI'd say an inch and a half is about fully grown as far as armata larvae go. So at that length I'd isolate for pupation personally.
DeleteThank you! I will keep its deli cup semi-moist.
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