egg--laying and rearing medium for beetles

Adam Cotton
Moderator

Posts: 3,496

Country: Thailand

egg--laying and rearing medium for beetles May 25, 2015 6:23:30 GMT -8

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Post by Adam Cotton on May 25, 2015 6:23:30 GMT -8

A friend at the Entomological Museum of Dept. of Agriculture, Bangkok asked me for assistance. Can anyone help with the formula for egg-laying and rearing medium for the following beetles, please?

He has some Rainbow Stag Beetles (Phalacrognathus muelleri) and various species of Dynastinae, and would like to breed them. He said the Lucanidae and Dynastinae medium formulae are different but doesn't know the ingredients and how to make the medium.

Thanks on his behalf for any advice.

Adam.

Bugman
Senior Member

Beetle Breeder and Collector

Posts: 441

egg--laying and rearing medium for beetles May 26, 2015 3:37:02 GMT -8

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Post by Bugman on May 26, 2015 3:37:02 GMT -8

Just fill 5 cm of soil into a high enough plastic container. Put bigger white rotten wood pieces on the soil and fill it up with fermented wood until the pieces are completely covered (no coniferous trees!). Now you can put humus and rotten leaves on that. In the end the height of the substrate should be at least 15-20 cm. Keep it moist. Room temperature is fine.

This method works for most Lucanidae and Dynastidae.

Visit my Website and my Youtube Channel

Best regards from Germany!
Chris

Adam Cotton
Moderator

Posts: 3,496

Country: Thailand

egg--laying and rearing medium for beetles Jun 1, 2015 6:40:44 GMT -8

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Post by Adam Cotton on Jun 1, 2015 6:40:44 GMT -8

My friend passed on his thanks for the information. I sent him the links to your website and Youtube channel too. It is a pity that the website is only in German though, as my friend, who only speaks basic English, has very little chance of understanding anything in German. I couldn't see a link to an English version, but perhaps I missed it.

Does anyone else have any recommendations for breeding these beetles?

Adam.