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Post by lucanidae25 on Jan 13, 2014 13:22:24 GMT -8
This is the latest craze Dynastes hercules hercules from selective breeding in Japan.  Showing the differences between the selective bred form on the left and the normal one from the right. |
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Post by flithops on Jan 19, 2014 7:23:19 GMT -8
what an abbomination! I hope it is a photoshop...
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Post by lucanidae25 on Jan 19, 2014 13:03:19 GMT -8
It'a real but it costs thousands of dollars in Japan. It looks more like a eggplant.
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Post by flithops on Jan 19, 2014 15:25:30 GMT -8
It is horrifying! I wouldn't want to see it anywhere near me. I wonder however how did that thoracic horn managed to grow in that way, looks so unnatural...
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Post by lucanidae25 on Jan 20, 2014 4:55:13 GMT -8
It's a gene mutation but I think it's beautiful.  |
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Post by bandrow on Jan 20, 2014 10:28:45 GMT -8
Hmmm... I guess someone thought Quasimodo was beautiful too!   |
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Post by lucanidae25 on Jan 20, 2014 13:18:29 GMT -8
Yup I think Quasimodo is cute and beautiful. lol  |
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Post by johnnyboy on Jan 22, 2014 0:28:59 GMT -8
I am very much in favour of captive breeding insects as a hobby, a lot can be learned about species. However, I have only wild caught D. hercules in my collection, all obtained decades ago. I am not personally interested in bred freaks, hybrids, colour forms etc but if others want to produce them, or collect them, good luck to them.
My Ornithoptera are mostly wild caught. The only bred pair of dried beetles in my collection are M. ugandensis. I have noticed that the body cuticle isn't really as hard as wild caught specimens, I understand this is often a characteristic of bred beetles.
Johnny
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Post by bandrow on Jan 22, 2014 19:14:40 GMT -8
Greetings,
I would guess that captive-bred beetles are sometimes killed before they have time to fully sclerotize, in order to prevent them from acquiring any damage, like scratches. Many beetles will achieve full color before the cuticle is completely hardened, and so could be dispatched too hastily, if care isn't taken to assure they've completed the hardening process. Just a thought as to why captive-bred specimens sometimes seem softer than wild-caught.
Cheers!
Bandrow
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Post by johnnyboy on Jan 23, 2014 1:18:57 GMT -8
Bandrow,
that is a good point. Interestingly, although only one example, the person who bred the pair of blue Mecynorhina ugandensis I have in my collection(I got them as dried specimens last year) said that he had kept them alive for a while for breeding purposes, so I assume that they should have hardened properly. However, the body, and leg joints do seem softer, and less sclerotised than the wild caught ones I have. Perhaps inbreeding, sub optimal conditions for development and pupation etc also play a part.
Johnny
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Post by bandrow on Jan 23, 2014 18:50:53 GMT -8
Hi Johnnyboy,
I agree that all of the factors you mention can play some role. The combination of 'unnatural' conditions probably results in some specimens not being as 'hardy' as a wild-bred specimen. I rear a lot of Cerambycidae and I've noticed that if I kill them too soon after emergence, they are somewhat soft, despite outwardly appearing the same as a wild-caught specimen.
Cheers!
Bandrow
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 15:34:56 GMT -8
Here is a video of a similar hercules mating. I wonder how the females feel about all this selective breeding   |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 21:13:02 GMT -8
I wonder how effecient the big horns are when it comes to fighting? I would think they would be cumbersome and ineffective. Perhaps this is why you don't see wild males with such massive horns?
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Post by lucanidae25 on Feb 18, 2014 4:52:14 GMT -8
Size matters when it comes to fighting with other males. I think the reason you won't find this in the wild is because very few larvae would make it into adults. |
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poisonarrow
Full Member
Looking for fellow entomologists in the SF Bay area
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Post by poisonarrow on Oct 9, 2015 11:23:09 GMT -8
I saw these as well, and really like those, yet still out of my price range. It shows that some insects have become really domesticated pets now, which is always good. When it comes to my own breeding though I prefer as close to wild type as possible |
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