# Purple Jewel Beetle advice wanted



## mrNickmuss (Mar 30, 2008)

My Four year old wanted to get involved with his big brothers hobby... So we bought him some Purple Jewel Beetle Grubs. the first has just hatched.... Very exciting especially when your four! Has anyone any advice or experience?
I want to keep it as simple as possible...
We have a number of other animals so are not complete newbees...
Thanks: victory:


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## sphynxskin (Feb 6, 2008)

I've kept these-what is it that you want to know?


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

I used to have a group of these and now have various other fruit beetles?

what do you want to know??

Jay


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## mrNickmuss (Mar 30, 2008)

*Jewel Beetles*

What I want to know is what is the best food ?(avoiding attracting fruit flies) What temp do they have to kept at? Any tips on breeding, general care and tips that people may have learnt along the way and want to share....


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## Ranubis (Apr 21, 2010)

I have these and also a colony of Pachnoda beetles. I have 5 purple jewels and a few cocoons - the adults haven't started breeding yet but my Pachnoda do. 

They are pretty okay with temps as long as they aren't too low - slightly above room temp is best. In the summer I just have them in my living room, in the winter I put them on top of my beardie's tank for some extra heat. If you want, a heat mat along one wall will be good. They like the sun and are more active when they get more light but obviously don't put them in direct sun.

They need to be kept slightly damp. My substrate is coir which holds moisture fairly well, about 6in deep. Spraying them once a day is usually enough.

They eat all sorts of fruit and especially like banana. As for fruit flies, unless you have fruit flies in the house anyway it shouldn't be a problem. Mine did get fruit flies which came in on something from the supermarket, drove me mad but I got rid of them by changing all the substrate and putting a pair of tights over the tank until the flies in the house had died. Some people feed them beetle jelly but I've never tried that.

They breed by themselves after a month or two as long as they have a nice deep substrate.
Oh, they like to fly, a warning if you take them out! Their wings are beautiful though...


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## Ranubis (Apr 21, 2010)

Oh yes, they should have rotten, crumbly wood (oak or beech) and leaf litter mixed in with their substrate.


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## MissCat (Mar 9, 2009)

they REALLY like mango too!


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## mrNickmuss (Mar 30, 2008)

Thanks for the advice!!!
We have quite a few cacoons which I have put in a tub with leaf litter inside an incubator alongside leopard Gecko eggs (in a different tub) will this speed up them hatching?


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## Ranubis (Apr 21, 2010)

Yes, it will, I put my cocoons in a tub on top of my beardies tank and they hatch a lot faster!


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## kiansmum9 (Jun 8, 2009)

ive used organic soil mixed with oak leaf shreaded dry and wet and old rotting bits of oak tree...I have successfully got baby grubs and cocoons,but still awaiting for the cocoons to hatch so ive put a heat matt under there tank...I stick too the beetle jelly as it doesn't attract flies like the fruit does xx


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## henry415 (Apr 1, 2012)

kiansmum9 said:


> ive used organic soil mixed with oak leaf shreaded dry and wet and old rotting bits of oak tree...I have successfully got baby grubs and cocoons,but still awaiting for the cocoons to hatch so ive put a heat matt under there tank...I stick too the beetle jelly as it doesn't attract flies like the fruit does xx


you should never put a heat mat under beetle tubs. When the beetles get too hot the dig down to get away from the heat. Only ever attach onto the side of containers, not the bottom.


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