# Jewel Beetles



## Sollytear (Aug 7, 2008)

Hey

After the death of my little sling a few days ago, ive decided that keeping baby spiders if not for me. They do not give me the same enjoyment as the adults, lizards, and mantids. I was looking at thespidershop last nite and I saw they have some nice jewel beetles for sale. Does anyone have any expirience with these chaps?

Can you mix sub-species of jewel beetle? Wat behavourer do they have? Anyone have a care sheet? Can they fly? Wats the life span of one of these critters? How long until the larve appear/turn? How humid does the enclosure need to be? Are they nocturnal or dinural (sp?)?

Joe


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## Hedgewitch (Feb 12, 2008)

Jewel beetles? Aren't they a long lived tree parasite that used to get made into jewellery?


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## nighthunte29 (Dec 28, 2008)

my male i got off macro junkie lived 3 months from pupating, they fly and are very very noisy, not to mention if you dont get enjoyment out of a sling then a beetle is not for you, all they do is look pretty, and yes you can mix subspecies but they might hybridise so id say only 2 females, males would kill eachother, they are pretty much nocturnal and diurnal as they are noisy all the time, keep on humus brick as they occasionally burrow, and have some banana or beetle jelly inside, thats all they need, room temp (same as your mantids) and spray every 2 days or so


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## Sarracenia (Mar 20, 2008)

You can mix subspecies, but they'll interbreed.

They're pretty quiet and calm, prefer being kept in groups. They like sitting together in the sun, on a juicy slice of orange.

They can fly, but only at midday when they've warmed up. They sound like handheld fans, or sometimes toy helicopters.

Adults last 3-4 months, larvae 5-6, and Pupa a month I think. After mating, eggs appear within a few weeks.

The soil needs to be moist, but no water should drip out if you squeeze it.

They're diurnal, and disappear beneath the soil in the evening.

This is a caresheet that I seem to be handing out everywhere at the moment. 
http://www.naturalworlds.org/scarabaeidae/manual/Scarabaeidae_breeding_1.htm

By the way, they're not called Jewel beetles at all, just Fruit/Flower Beetles, or Cetonids. : victory:


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## Sollytear (Aug 7, 2008)

Ah thanks for the info chaps 

The reason I was thinking about these guys is that they look stunning, and I do not need to invest in a colony of livefood for them. Oh and I can hide the enclosure easily, which is a must being at uni. 

As for the noise, how noisey are they at night? I currently have a colony of dubias 1m away from my head when I sleep, and thats about as much noise as I can manage. Is the noise only when they fly or is it as they skutter about?


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## Sarracenia (Mar 20, 2008)

They only really make noise in flight, but they shouldn't be doing that at night anyway. You can't really hide them through the day though, as they need sunlight to breed/live decently. :2thumb:


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## Sollytear (Aug 7, 2008)

Oh no the hiding is for a few hours 3 times a year  Not a big deal!

So in a few months I may think about buying some  Ill see what more info I can find out them and hopefully find someone to visit with some that I can see.


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Hi, I keep these and have found they live fine along side my Pachnoda as they have almost identical requirements. I got them as larvae and now have 2 pairs of adults which appear to be breeding. They def love the sunshine but not too close to the window lest you cook them.:lol2:

The imagos are purple but I also have larvae in blue and green. If and when they appear as adults I will separate the colours off to prevent cross breeding. They are quite a small beetle and sound a little like a large bee when in flight. I only ever hear mine during the afternoons and again late evening then they disappear back under the sub for the night.


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## CreatureMan (Jun 17, 2011)

*No citrus fruits*

'on a juicy slice of orange' that should not be allowed. you shouldnt evem give them citrus freuits, the shop i bought my two beetles from warned me not to give any citrus fruits including oranges!!


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