All your visitors will be entertained by their lively antics! Always check with your local authorities for the requirements, and comply with it. If you have the budget and are able to keep the beetle consistently around 72-77 F (~22-25 C), consider using Kinshi instead of flake soil if Kinshi is available. However, if you keep and raise stag beetle larvae, youll need another substrate. Avoid fruits that contain a lot of water like grapes and watermelon. Continue with Recommended Cookies. It takes about 4 weeks for the adult beetles to emerge from pupae. They make a great pet in Japan as they take up little space in small Japanese dwellings. See our contact page how you can come in contact with us. beer Hello, After the rise of their populations in Japan, an average adult rainbow stag beetle can cost around 70 dollars . Females have much smaller mandibles. Please help with advise. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), A Guide to Keeping Eastern Hercules Beetle, 3 Simple Artificial Pupation Chamber to Save Beetle Pupae. Another method is by comparing the size of their head capsules. Try to separate the eggs/grubs into different containers with new substrates. Hercules beetles are prevalent in Central and South America in the tropical rain forests in the mountains and lowlands and on Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago. Make sure the housing is covered with a lid to prevent the beetles from flying out. When you change the substrate for the first time, transfer the grub into a bigger container: 2 qt (~2L) container for male and 1 qt (~1 L) container for female grub. This beetle is native only in my country. One month after you removed the female beetle, you can search for the grubs in the rotten wood and flake soil, and move them into a separate container. Dont use insect screens because beetles are strong and may gnaw a way out. You can buy stag beetles online at several breeders or at reptile/invert expos that are held in many countries. Make sure that it cant potentially be damaged for example by a ceiling fan or be lost by an open window. House 1 grub per container. Bury of the decay woods with pre-baked, moist sawdust. Stag beetles do rather well at room temperature. If you purchase through our partner links, we get paid for the referral at no additional cost to you! Also, the article said ticks? Stag beetles are a very popular pet in Japan. It is best to let your beetles mate when they are still young. And although generally stag beetles live from 3 up to 7 years, the adults last a couple of weeks or months. exclusive offers Stag beetles come in all sizes, shapes and colours but all have those typical mandibles. Giant Stag Beetle Giant stag beetles are one of the largest beetles in the US. The dimension of your housing for a beetle should be at least 3 times the length of your beetle in length, 2 times in width and 2 times in height. A good alternative product to use as a substrate is called flake soil, a product that is made out of decayed hardwood leaves, mostly from old oak trees. The horn may break, so Ive always picked up the kabuto mushi from the back. However, there are multiple colour variations of the rainbow stag beetle, as well as other stag beetle species. Some beetle keepers breed beetles in the winter, disrupting the beetles hibernation. Well, it is quite difficult to ascertain the feeding rate of your grubs because the grubs often smear their feces. So I took them home. Beetle humidifiers are called kirifuki (). They do bite, though, which is kind of itchy and annoying. This will help you keep the tank clean and easily remove the leftovers. Place the fruit onto a sauce plate so that you can clean it easily. You may want to buy the grubs as they are way cheaper than an adult beetle. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. i got decent knowledge on keeping beetles, and handling ticks. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Moreover, the jelly doesnt grow mold as easily unlike the fruits. For most of their lives, they live underground in the substrate. When pulling a beetle off a surface can damage its legs, feet or claws. The risk of buying an adult beetle is that you dont really know how old the beetle is. Travel and Lifestyle Advice Centered on Tokyo, Japan. Dorcus Oita It is an easy and nutritious food and beetles can be solely fed on beetle jelly. Water for drinking is unnecessary, as the jelly and fruits provide enough, but be sure to keep his/her soil moist. Because of their disproportionate size, they are sometimes compared to the antlers of a stag. Replace spent substrates regularly for 6-12 months. Both females and males of many Lucanid species are impressively big, but the males, with their long mouthparts that look like antlers on a stag, are amazing and intimidating. As long as you provide good ventilation it will be fine. Male has a larger head capsule than a female grub. Continue reading to learn more.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'xtraordinarypets_com-box-3','ezslot_10',168,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-xtraordinarypets_com-box-3-0'); Lucanus elaphus, also known as the giant stag beetle, can be found in the southeastern United States. The housing of beetles is quite simple. Again, I dont know how safe those methods are for kabutomushi or humans. Remove any unconsumed food everyday to prevent growth of molds. Dorcus parallelus, commonly known as the Antelope Stag Beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Lucanidae, and the only representative of the genus Dorcus in Canada. Keep reading to find out more details on caring of rainbow stag beetles at different stagesif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'xtraordinarypets_com-box-3','ezslot_10',168,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-xtraordinarypets_com-box-3-0'); Rainbow stag beetle is scientifically known as Phalacrognathus muelleri. Males are usually about 4-8cm long, females are smaller, usually 3-5cm long. They also have huge mandibles and can grow up to 2.5 inches in length (including the length of the mandibles). Always ask for a care sheet from the seller on how to take care of the beetles. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'xtraordinarypets_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_11',176,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-xtraordinarypets_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); The mother should be removed from the nursery chamber one month after she was placed into the chamber. For each additional beetle, increase another 50% to the length and width of the housing. Their common, English name is derived from the shape of their mandibles, which resemble the antlers of a stag. I have recently grown some atlas beetles from grubs, so i thought that i'd share my experience on how to keep atlas beetle. I started to develop interest in arthropods since 2007, and have been keeping them for a few years. Some beetle jellies even boast various fitness benefits such as improved longevity, stronger beetles, and larger offspring. Also two species of kabuto mushi X. Gideon and Chalcosoma Cucasus (a living tank). In Japanese, food for pets is called esa (). Mist the substrate when it gets dry. Youve come across the magnificent stag beetles and you found that you can keep them as pets and yes they make good pets indeed. If you are undecided about what type of beetle you might like or whether you really do want one, I recommend that you take a trip to an invert fair and exhibition. Donate here. I came across this unofficial explanation on the Japanese Yahoo Answers site as to why stag beetles live so much longer than rhinoceros beetles. They eat solely on decaying wood and need a thick layer of substrate (coconut fibre, topsoil, flake soil, and a lot of decaying wood). Adult stag beetles eat primarily fruit juice and tree sap. Heres my recommended supplies that you can consider getting for your rainbow stag beetles (I may earn some commission if you buy from the link): Remember to check out our recommended books to learn more about keeping rainbow stag beetle. A friend told me that it is because kuwagatas are slim enough to hide behind bark and in other small, warm spaces during winter while kabutos are too big. How do you know which grub is male and which is female? This tiny insect is the most rare and strange species in the world. Maintain the temperature between 72-79 F (22-26 C). Keeping Bugs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. = Despite the fact that the stag beetle is the largest insect species found in the UK, it has become an increasingly endangered species in most of the country and is now protected in most of its range. As you are probably new to keeping stag beetles, it is best to keep them alone or as a couple for breeding. animals Some Japanese sites even say that you can use normal mite-repellent methods to keep a kabutomushi dani-free. Your Journey Of Keeping Bugs Starts Right Here! Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. By that time they have grown bigger and can be easily searched. If it is not in the mood, then let him or her do its thing and try it a little later. If theyre raised in captivity in this way, does this reduce the chance that theyll get mites or is it about the same either way? Decaying branches are called kuchiki (). It takes about 6-8 weeks for the adult beetles to emerge from pupae. Stag beetle fast facts Alternative common names: European stag beetle, greater stag beetle Scientific name: Lucanus cervus Length, including mandibles/jaws: males 35-75mm long, females 30-50mm long Weight: 2-6 grams Average lifespan: 3-7 years UK status: Native UK population: Unknown (you can help scientists find out) The beetles will find it and you can see them eat from it. On top of the insect bedding,. If youd like to know how to care for a rhinoceros beetle (kabuto mushi), check outthis link. It is crucial to let the beetles complete their dormant period naturally. On top of the insect bedding, place dried leaves, logs, and a food dish. Some exotic pet shops have stag beetles as well.What about other species? This helps to retain some of the beneficial bacteria.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'xtraordinarypets_com-box-4','ezslot_6',171,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-xtraordinarypets_com-box-4-0'); Female beetles generally grow faster than male beetles, and may get too old to breed when the male beetles emerge. You might be familiar with flake soil, which is the substrates used for many beetle grubs. You can feed them on a little dish plate, but the beetles probably push the fruit eventually into the substrate anyway (and that does not matter because they still eat it anyway and cant do any harm). Please enjoy! 5 Also, it makes the enclosure more dynamic and interesting, which in turn encourages the beetles to explore the enclosure more.Please read if you want to collect material from outside! Always keep them singular, in pairs or in single-sexed female groups. The survival rate and breeding success increase when keeping larvae singular. Do not keep more than 1 male in the same housing as they may fight. Female beetles, on the other hand, are smaller in size. Kinshi is basically sawdust broken down by mushrooms. Be careful not to drop the grubs when handling them because they may die of falling. As implied by its name, the rainbow stag beetles have colorful iridescent exoskeleton. They can regulate their needs perfectly themselves and will not eat more than they can handle. Refer to the guide here if you accidentally break the pupation chamber. You should be able to hold them easily. For each additional beetle, increase another 50% to the length and width of the housing. Moss, on the other hand, works better. Marubo Land The Giraffe stag beetle (Prosopocoilus giraffa) is the largest stag beetle in the world. coz she has not touched the food yet, shes just hiding under the leaves. This spot is said to be the ovary of the beetle when it turns into an adult. A blog on extraordinary, non-conventional pets. The below products are Amazon Affiliate links. recipes Caring for giant stag beetle grub is very easy. You can also drill tiny ventilation holes that are way too small for them to climb out. While I was trying to keep different species, I notice the information in the internet are quite scattered. Quick question! There are many more beetle species that you can keep as pets. Giant stag beetles are good fliers. If you are getting the beetle from local store, look for sign of injury or lost limbs.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'xtraordinarypets_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_8',169,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-xtraordinarypets_com-medrectangle-3-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'xtraordinarypets_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_9',169,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-xtraordinarypets_com-medrectangle-3-0_1');.medrectangle-3-multi-169{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. You can use peat/soil mixture in 1:1 ratio as the substrates for the housing. This morning our high school Japanese neighbor gave me a young stag beetle or kuwagata mushi in a transparent container with a hole on top and few twigs and little branches in it. Males use their mandibles to fight with other males and try to knock them off branches to eliminate the competition for breeding. This is to prevent her from eating her own grubs, which she would mistaken them as grubs of other beetles. This is very likely to shorten the beetles lifespan, so it is probably better to let your beetle sleep. You should consider feeding your beetles with beetle jelly. This site is owned and operated by Haomaru. There are many different types of stag beetles, one even more stunning or surprising than the other. Insects are awesome! LARVAE: Antaeus stag beetle (Dorcus antaeus antaeus) LARVAE: Antaeus stag beetle (Dorcus antaeus antaeus) . Here is a recipe for beetle jelly that you can follow to prepare the beetle jelly.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'xtraordinarypets_com-leader-1','ezslot_20',174,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-xtraordinarypets_com-leader-1-0'); The giant stag beetles do not eat much. Clean all the containers with soap before reusing them. If I were to pick up a kuwagata, Id probably do the same thing (pick up from the back, thumb on one side of the shell and two fingers on the other). While I am trying more variety of insects I notice the information or guides in the internet are quite scattered. The price was much higher when they only existed in Queensland. Otherwise, there will be adverse effects on their fertility, overall fitness, as well as egg hatchability. Unless you are staying in Japan or Taiwan, most likely you can get rainbow stag beetles only from online stores. Thank you! There are ventilation areas, but just my concern is that is still plastic container. Hence, additional water supply is not necessary.