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Post by mothman27 on May 12, 2016 14:00:36 GMT -8
Can anyone shed some light on rearing these beetles or similar.
I have collected several this year and thought I may try to breed them.
Is there an easier species I should try first?
Thanks,
Tim
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Post by mantisboy on May 13, 2016 4:02:13 GMT -8
If you don't mind me jumping on this thread, how does one differentiate fricator and minutus, aside from size? I have one that is within the size range of both species, so I need some other way to tell them apart.
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Post by mothman27 on May 13, 2016 7:52:53 GMT -8
No horn or just a bump = C. fricator female.
I have found 1 female like this and 3 males of fricator.
C. fricator are more on the dull gray side and C. minutus are more shiny black. All of mine are same color, although horn length varies greatly.
I will try to post pics sometime.
That's all I have found.
Anyone else know?
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Post by mothman27 on May 14, 2016 8:54:02 GMT -8
Alright, I was wrong with what I said. C. fricator: Color: dull gray-black Size: bigger Pronotum very ridged Horn on head longer on males and shorter on females. C. minutus: Color: shiny black Size: smaller Pronotum less bumpy Horn on head of males is shorter than horn of fricator male, longer than female. Turns out I have two fricator males and one pair of minutus. Photos: Minutus F Minutus M Fricator M Fricator M (live, playing dead)  Minutus F Minutus M Fricator M  Minutus pair  If anyone knows if I am wrong, please let me know. |
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Post by aviark on Jul 31, 2016 4:33:19 GMT -8
Can anyone shed some light on rearing these beetles or similar. I have collected several this year and thought I may try to breed them. Is there an easier species I should try first? Thanks, Tim Hola, mothman27... at last. I had trouble getting onto InsectNet, in order to answer your question, but all good now.  I have experience with Copris hispanus. I have been seeking anything and everything on rearing dung beetles for a considerable time. It was a coincidence that I came on a paper by a Kenyan working on his dissertation. On Copris fricator: "REARING METHODS AND MATING BEHAVIOR OF THE DUNG BEETLE, COPRIS FRICATOR (FAB.)" digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8423834/ I do not have the paper itself. I tried, Dr Taruru directly, but not with any success. But the dissertation is hosted at Dr Darius Taruru's alma mater Uni. Nebraska, Lincoln. I gather that you are in the USA and likely have better access than do I. I hope that helps. I'm not sure if Dr Taruru covers sexing Copris sp. I have no trouble with visually sexing C.hispanus. Especially larger specimens. Smaller specimens, especially those that have not attempted breeding require 'invasive sexing'. I relax them first by immersion in tap water at room temp. They relax their pygidia. Invert beetle to display the pygidium. If you have a secure device for gently clamping the body, that is better than hand-held. A fine scalpel and edge of blade can be gently applied to the margin of the pygidium to prise it open. (I tend to slip and skewer beetles if I use a mounted dissecting needle.) With the pygidium prised just open, the presence or absence of the coloured aedeagus can be noted. I prefer not to use this method, it is last resort. I don't use the beetles for display purposes. So I can mark them if necessary. Scarifications (pronotum) can be used to 'brand' beetles and indicate their sex. Lately, I have used ladies nail polish. Blue for boys, pink for girls of course. The nail polish holds on for the duration of breeding season (Winter/Spring). C.hipsanus can breed into a second season too. Not sure for C.fricator. I hope you can use the information. |
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Post by bandrow on Jul 31, 2016 8:33:45 GMT -8
Greetings,
I can't be sure from your images about the identities of your specimens, but from my experience, these appear to all be Copris fricator - based on the relative sizes. Copris minutus is usually half or less the size of fricator, and very shiny. Here is a key to the two species - this is taken from "The Scarabaeoid Beetles of Nebraska" by Brett Ratcliffe and Matt Paulsen (Bulletin of the University of Nebraska State Museum, Vol. 22, 2008):
Lateral pronotal carina absent; lateral pronotal margin evenly curved anteriorly .............. Copris minutus (Drury)
Lateral pronotal carina present; lateral pronotal margin sinuate anteriorly ................... Copris fricator (Fabricius)
Check your specimens against this key and see what you come up with. I'd be interested in seeing if my suspicions are correct, as well as knowing if I'm wrong!
Cheers!
Bandrow
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Post by bandrow on Jul 31, 2016 8:48:02 GMT -8
 Copris minutus  Copris fricator Greetings again! I thought I'd add a couple of images (I borrowed these from BugGuide.net, and added the text box) to use along with the key - see if this helps! Cheers! Bandrow |
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