# How do you sex beetle larvae????



## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

I've seen larvae pairs advertised as one male, one female but how can you tell. I know with the adults the males have a groove down their bellies.
It would be useful to know because when I harvest them for the BTS I can leave the girls alone.


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## exopet (Apr 20, 2007)

as far as I know it is only things like stags and rhino beetles that can be sexed as larvae, as the males will start developing horns whilst still larvae.


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## Sarracenia (Mar 20, 2008)

It depends if it's Dynastidae/Lucanidae or Cetoniinae. It has to be L3 before you can sex it, and I think with Dynastidae and Lucanidae the males have 2 small dots on the second to last body segment. Females simply don't have them. I'm not sure what to do if it's any other type of beetle though.


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Cheers for the help they are Pachnoda so I presume it can't be done then...Ah well...would have been nice to be able to save the females.


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## Sarracenia (Mar 20, 2008)

It can be done for Pachnoda and similar species, but I don't personally know what to do. I'm sure there'll be a guide to sexing them somewhere.


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## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

cetosexe

Easy, once the larvae are at L3 size, you can see the Herold's organin the last segment underside, with the visible dot/dimple on the outer surface, as seen here!

Lotte***


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Oh great, I didn't know they were Cetoniinae. TBH I'm not overly keen on beetles but keep them for feeder food and sell off any surplus adults.
When I first got a batch of larvae they all hatched male so the seller obviously knew, a bit naughty I think. When I sell my adults they are either in a trio 2F and 1M or a group of five 3F and 2M. When buying anything now I always ask what the female to male ratio is.


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