Adults:
- Size: 40-85mm
- Adult life span once active: 18-30 months
- Temperature: 66-75°F
- Humidity: 40-60%
- Food: Beetle jelly or fruits(no citrus)
Breeding:
- Required temperature for breeding: 70-76°F
- Minimum container size for egg laying: 8 in x 4 in x 8 in. Bigger containers are always the better option for breeding!
- # of eggs laid on average: 15-30
- Flake soil humidity adjustment: The amount of water is appropriate when you can form a ball by squeezing the flake soil with your hand. Water seeping out of your hands during the process indicates that there is too much water.
- Set-up: Pack the bottom 5in of the container tightly and fill up the remaining space loosely with flake soil. Place objects such as sticks or barks at the top so that the beetle can flip itself over if needed. Lastly, don't forget to regularly give fruits or beetle jelly for the beetle to feed!
Set-up example:
Larvae:
- Food: Flake soil, white-rot hardwood, or kinshi(hiratake or kawaratake)
- Temperature: 66-75°F
- Humidity: 60%
- Larval duration: 8-12 months
- Container size recommendations:
- L1: 4oz deli cup
- L2: 16oz deli containers
- L3 female: 32 oz deli container
- L3 male: 32oz container. As they grow bigger, move them to a 1.5-2L container.
Helpful notes and tips:
- Adults and larvae are cold resistant so it's possible to keep them on the cooler side(no lower than 62°F). They are weak to the heat however, so it's best to not keep them warmer than 77°F.
- Adults can hibernate in cold temperatures.
- Since this species has a long life span, it is better to let the adults mature for a few months before mating takes place.
- Feeding the larva kinshi can potentially lead to bigger males
- Female larvae tend to pupate faster than males.