🕷 Invertebrate Enthusiasts 🕷

[Catsplat18]

Hahaha, that's what my eleodes beetle is like. My bdfbs are surprisingly active, I had a stroke of luck and found someone who successfully captive bred and raised them, so maybe something to do with that? I'll scoop these beetles up and they don't have a care in the world, have yet to see them perform their playing dead trick because they're so chill lol.

The eleodes is a hermit in comparison, sometimes I'll catch em vaguely near the food but that's about it. Only other thing with him was when I gave them a shallow dish of water, he was so eager that i thought he'd manage to drown himself in it, stuck his head in over a minute at a time and the only reason he stopped for air is because I got nervous and nudged him youd think i never water these guys, the bdfbs couldve cared less about the water lol, now i water em with droplets (aside from fresh food) just because im worried about the eleodes drowning itself. every time that eleodes still acts like its the first time it's seen water in months, so dramatic

What the heck people are breeding them now?? I thought it was a secret only known by the Cincinnati Zoo! Lucky!! I have a couple of eleodes I just found outside and uh stole from the wild lmao. But they're actually active. They are definitely dramatic; hate the smell they put on you when you touch them.

Ohh, rip kraken I hope you're able to get one soon!! Or a breeding pair I've never seen mine do death rolls, but he's also not the most enthusiastic hunter lol

I got mine at a shady ass expo, a mistake but i was so desperate to get one asap. Saw one juvenile tohono vinegaroon left for $35. They said "hes cheaper because he's missing his tail, but it's just a minor flaw". Bought him, went home and found young adults on bugsincyberspace for $17.

Also found out missing a tail is not a minor flaw, but more like a blind person going deaf. Can't feel the vibration from bugs, took months to feed him because no matter what I tried just using touch wouldn't quite convince him something is alive. Either his food would stop moving (like how dubias hunker down) and he'd walk away to try and find where it went, or if it did move he'd still not quite believe it and keep prodding it until it DID get away, continuing a cycle of him looking desperately for his food and then chasing it away.

Atm he eats exclusively waxworm cocoons, because he can feel them move but they cant actually go anywhere. Jeremiah is a handful, never thought id receive an arachnid with special needs, but i love him dearly. hasnt molted yet but in fairness only got him to start eating just a few months ago.

OMG that's probably why mine died -- it lost its tail. I have no idea what happened. One day it had its tail, the next it didn't. I even searched the substrate to see if I could find it, to make sure something didn't fall on the vinegaroon and break the tail off. But its tail dropped into another dimension or something. That definitely explains why it completely lost its prey drive. I feel so bad. I didn't even realize how important the tail was, since I only saw it using its antenniform legs to hunt, which were intact. I had the best luck feeding it mealworm pupae, since they twitched but couldn't run away. I didn't realize waxworm pupae did the same thing. I hope Jeremiah stays strong!! Can't believe I didn't connect the dots with my own vinegaroon. And screw those shady bug dealers.

Woah, tbf i think that beats my assassin bug crane fly showdown by a bit, that's nuts think my best one was sitting at a lake and watching a bald eagle catch a fish just feet away from me, its def unforgettable lol

Ahh that's so cool!!

I have a lot rn haha, got about 15? species of isopods, scarlet and bumblebee millipedes, also have some termite farms brewing (but planning to sell those once they get started). my most immediate want rn is more flightless desert beetles, like eleodes, ironclads, other death feigning beetles etc. finally got just about all the supplies for a 40 gallon desert beetle tank ive been planning, so now all thats left is setting it up and getting a whole bunch of beetles!!

hbu, what other creatures do u have rn?

15 isopods? Don't be shy, list all the species you have . Tell me you have rubber duckies. Wait no don't, I'll be too jealous. I've never kept isopods by themselves (except the pillbugs I kept in a tupperware container in 2nd grade... they all died for obvious reasons), but it's definitely on my list! I tried to keep millipedes a while back, but I didn't sterilize their substrate and it got overrun with (unwanted, wild) isopods, which killed them. They ate their legs off!! But most of the damage was done when they tried to molt -- eaten alive by the crustaceans. I am never making that mistake again. Next time I have millipedes, I'm keeping their substrate free all of all contaminants. I guess that means I'll have to buy a pre-made mix online. Saving a couple bucks through DIY is not worth the lives of your pets. Still... it was fun while it lasted. I was mesmerized by the way they moved. And they were super cute.

Desert beetles are great! I just have a 10 gallon with my eleodes, BDFB, adult superworms, and mealworms of all life stages. It's basically a mealworm breeding tank that I decorated and added other species to. Ironclads are so cool... Nosoderma diabolicum has the best texture and is the one I most often see for sale. But I really want a Zopherus nodulosus with a large amount of white. It would be a great contrast to the rest of the tenebrid beetles (minus the BDFB of course). 40 gallons is a dream!! You could probably keep cactus longhorn beetles in there too, although I've never kept them myself so what do I know lol.

Right now I have two cats, a green-cheeked conure, a Russian tortoise, a leopard gecko, a Madagascar hissing cockroach colony, the aforementioned beetles, and hopefully the beginnings of a dubia roach colony. I had a male California forest scorpion (Uroctonus mordax) for a few months, but considering he got stepped on, I'm surprised he lasted that long. (I kept him as a pet after my neighbor tried to kill him in front of me.) So I'm a bit lacking in the invert section, I'm afraid. I'm about to go to college so it's probably for the best... no way would they allow bugs in the dorm. My brother will take care of what I leave behind, but he'd probably be overwhelmed if there was more. But yeah... once I'm out of the dorm, I have a HUGE wishlist of pets to start fulfilling.

[Leo & The Moths]

What the heck people are breeding them now?? I thought it was a secret only known by the Cincinnati Zoo! Lucky!!

Yeah!! Interestingly, what's worked for hobbyists I know is different than what worked for the Cincinnati Zoo? iirc their success had to do with bdfbs burrowing in wood or something, but the person I bought mine from just kept them at a very specific temperature. It's still not entirely clear what the best way is, but it's def possible!

I have a couple of eleodes I just found outside and uh stole from the wild lmao. But they're actually active. They are definitely dramatic; hate the smell they put on you when you touch them.

Oh you've got DRAMATIC ones, most people including myself at least get away with them not stinking very often, I've handled mine on a few occasions haha. Bdfbs play dead, but manage to be way less dramatic than any eleodes I've seen.

OMG that's probably why mine died -- it lost its tail. I have no idea what happened. One day it had its tail, the next it didn't. I even searched the substrate to see if I could find it, to make sure something didn't fall on the vinegaroon and break the tail off. But its tail dropped into another dimension or something. That definitely explains why it completely lost its prey drive. I feel so bad. I didn't even realize how important the tail was, since I only saw it using its antenniform legs to hunt, which were intact. I had the best luck feeding it mealworm pupae, since they twitched but couldn't run away. I didn't realize waxworm pupae did the same thing. I hope Jeremiah stays strong!! Can't believe I didn't connect the dots with my own vinegaroon. And screw those shady bug dealers.

Oh that's interesting!! You're the first person I've spoken to with a similar experience, and it helps confirm my conclusion about why he struggles hunting so much. I'm not all too sure what exactly their tail does, but whenever I try to feed me guy live, he just spends minutes touching the food with his antenniform and pedipalps, like he knows its alive but doesn't understand what it is??? And if it starts running away, instead of attacking, he gets startled and backs up. Then he just resumes looking for his food, so I know he's hungry. Afaik most "worm to bug" insects have an immobile pupae form that is still reactive to touch, so I think the best I can do is get him a good variety of pupae and hope that can do the trick! And seriously, screw shady dealers, that guy had to know the vinegaroon was not eating right.

15 isopods? Don't be shy, list all the species you have . Tell me you have rubber duckies. Wait no don't, I'll be too jealous.

I've even got 2 duckie forms

Here's what I keep atm!

Cubaris:
Ducky 'Wild'
Ducky 'Pink'
Pak Chong
Panda King

Armadillidium:
Perracae
Marbelized
Vulgare 'Wild' (High Contrast)
Vulgare 'Magic Potions USA'

Porcellio:
Sevilla
Bolivari
Magnificus
Ornatus 'Yellow Dot'
Hoffmannseggii
Laevis 'Dairy Cow'
i think blue powders go here i forget their scientific name LOL

Other:
M. sp. "Tricolor" (Only have 3 adults so we'll see if it establishes)

I've never kept isopods by themselves (except the pillbugs I kept in a tupperware container in 2nd grade... they all died for obvious reasons), but it's definitely on my list! I tried to keep millipedes a while back, but I didn't sterilize their substrate and it got overrun with (unwanted, wild) isopods, which killed them. They ate their legs off!! But most of the damage was done when they tried to molt -- eaten alive by the crustaceans.

Geez!! Sounds like some sort of porcellio sp, or other protein loving pod, most aren't that ravenous. The main reason people recommend not keeping them together is just pods out-competing pedes lol. Pods are really fun to keep though, highly recommend when you get the chance!

I am never making that mistake again. Next time I have millipedes, I'm keeping their substrate free all of all contaminants. I guess that means I'll have to buy a pre-made mix online. Saving a couple bucks through DIY is not worth the lives of your pets. Still... it was fun while it lasted. I was mesmerized by the way they moved. And they were super cute.

There are ways to do DIY substrate and sanitize it! All of my bugs are in custom substrates, since once you get more than 2 or 3 species, buying premade becomes very unreasonable price wise. I guess the DIY does include buying bulk ingredients though, so would only be worth it if you plan on eventually keeping quite a few species lol.

Desert beetles are great! I just have a 10 gallon with my eleodes, BDFB, adult superworms, and mealworms of all life stages. It's basically a mealworm breeding tank that I decorated and added other species to. Ironclads are so cool... Nosoderma diabolicum has the best texture and is the one I most often see for sale. But I really want a Zopherus nodulosus with a large amount of white. It would be a great contrast to the rest of the tenebrid beetles (minus the BDFB of course). 40 gallons is a dream!! You could probably keep cactus longhorn beetles in there too, although I've never kept them myself so what do I know lol.

Oooh I adore zopherus, those are a dream for the tank if I ever find people selling them haha. I've actually considered cactus longhorns!! Only reason I decided against them (for now, at least) is because they're specialists for cacti, while every other beetle I'm getting can live on the same diet. Though now that I think about it, I do have to use fresh food mixed with their diet, so if the other beetles eat cacti it might actually work Will have to do more research there haha

Right now I have two cats, a green-cheeked conure, a Russian tortoise, a leopard gecko, a Madagascar hissing cockroach colony, the aforementioned beetles, and hopefully the beginnings of a dubia roach colony. I had a male California forest scorpion (Uroctonus mordax) for a few months, but considering he got stepped on, I'm surprised he lasted that long. (I kept him as a pet after my neighbor tried to kill him in front of me.) So I'm a bit lacking in the invert section, I'm afraid. I'm about to go to college so it's probably for the best... no way would they allow bugs in the dorm. My brother will take care of what I leave behind, but he'd probably be overwhelmed if there was more. But yeah... once I'm out of the dorm, I have a HUGE wishlist of pets to start fulfilling.

Oh, I have a bird too, a cockatiel! I forget to add her to animal lists just because she acts more like a little person than an animal haha. Tortoises are so much fun, every time I interact with them I'm surprised by how personable they are. One of my goals for much later down the road is having an outdoor sulcata group, love love big reptiles. Think my other big long term goal is big lizards, love argentine tegus and asian water monitors so much. Plan on building a dedicated temp controlled space for water monitors with a huge water feature and just tons of space, basically planning a zoo exhibit in my future back yard lol, but that's a very far away goal. It sucks that college often means people have to rehome pets/put aside plans, it's good your brother is able to care for them!! I chose a college very near my parents house, and they've agreed I can stay here until I find a pet-friendly living arrangement. Limited my college options but I could not rehome my guys, and my family def aren't bug people lol.

What do you have on your wishlist once you get your own place?

[Catsplat18]

I am SO sorry I just completely forgot about this thread until now.

Here's what I keep atm!

I'm so jealousssss. Did your tricolors establish? I'm curious how expensive those are if you don't mind sharing. I've actually never even heard of them but they look stunning.

Is Jeremiah still alive?

Oh, I have a bird too, a cockatiel! I forget to add her to animal lists just because she acts more like a little person than an animal haha. Tortoises are so much fun, every time I interact with them I'm surprised by how personable they are. One of my goals for much later down the road is having an outdoor sulcata group, love love big reptiles. Think my other big long term goal is big lizards, love argentine tegus and asian water monitors so much. Plan on building a dedicated temp controlled space for water monitors with a huge water feature and just tons of space, basically planning a zoo exhibit in my future back yard lol, but that's a very far away goal. It sucks that college often means people have to rehome pets/put aside plans, it's good your brother is able to care for them!! I chose a college very near my parents house, and they've agreed I can stay here until I find a pet-friendly living arrangement. Limited my college options but I could not rehome my guys, and my family def aren't bug people lol.

I think we might be long-lost twins. There are too many coincidences. No way you have a parrot too!! And you're right, they're not pets. Not when they're smarter than some people.

Yesss Argentine b&w tegus. Yesssss. Yes to the wannabe zoo exhibit. Yes to everything.

I'm like 8 hours away by car, but only 1 by plane. So when I have a 3-day weekend or a break I always fly home and see my pets. It's weird. When I miss my family I can just call or text. You can't do that with your pets. I've spoken to my parrot over the phone but he screams for me and I feel guilty for tricking him with my voice and not actually being there in person, so I don't do that anymore.

What do you have on your wishlist once you get your own place?

Too much. Way too much. I'll finalize a Google Doc and post it here for public anonymous viewing.

[librarycat]

bit late but the halloween event is still on so!
i let my millipede have a play on a pumpkin for halloween

[Catsplat18]

bit late but the halloween event is still on so!
i let my millipede have a play on a pumpkin for halloween

That's sooo cute!! What species is it?

[librarycat]

giant african train millipede
her name's arcola, after the first african american train conductor

[Leo & The Moths]

bit late but the halloween event is still on so!
i let my millipede have a play on a pumpkin for halloween

Oh WOW! That's a gorgeous pede, super jealous. Not sure where you're located but in the US all of the african giant pedes are sooo hard to get, there's some availability for some but you gotta pay big bucks for em.


-----

I am SO sorry I just completely forgot about this thread until now.

No worries!! Just saw this myself, had been on a brief CS break haha.

Here's what I keep atm!

I'm so jealousssss. Did your tricolors establish? I'm curious how expensive those are if you don't mind sharing. I've actually never even heard of them but they look stunning.

Unfortunately not the adults eventually died (of age I assume, I had them for a while), and never had babies, not sure if they were all the same sex or if it was just bad luck. Tricolors still have pretty low availability so it's hard to tell what the usual price is, public prices seem to be ~$250-300 for a group of 5, no idea on (usually cheaper) private hobby prices since I don't see any sellers. They were probably upwards of $700 for a starter group early this year so it's definitely a lot better now LOL.

That whole genus is stunning imo. I think some people are working on the legal importation of Merulanella sp. "Ember Bee" and I'm super hyped, will be insanely expensive at first but with how prolific that genus can be I'd hope the prices drop as fast as tricolors lol.

Is Jeremiah still alive?

He is! He hasn't eaten in a while though, and it's been hard getting a steady source of waxworm pupae. I don't currently have any mantises and with how little vinegaroons eat I'd be raising like 20 waxworms so I can feed Jeremiah once or twice, and now that I have no mantises I've got nothing to do with the pupae when they hatch haha. Hopefully will be getting more mantises soon though. Would also be nice if I could finally find more ways to feed Jeremiah that are easier.

I think we might be long-lost twins. There are too many coincidences. No way you have a parrot too!! And you're right, they're not pets. Not when they're smarter than some people.

No way!! What kind of parrot do you have?

Yesss Argentine b&w tegus. Yesssss. Yes to the wannabe zoo exhibit. Yes to everything.


I'm like 8 hours away by car, but only 1 by plane. So when I have a 3-day weekend or a break I always fly home and see my pets. It's weird. When I miss my family I can just call or text. You can't do that with your pets. I've spoken to my parrot over the phone but he screams for me and I feel guilty for tricking him with my voice and not actually being there in person, so I don't do that anymore.

Yeahh that sounds so tough, even if I had someone to fill in for my animal care they can't fill that same emotional piece for my parrot, my tiel has dealt with emotional disturbance and pin picking since I got her and I'd be too scared leaving her in the state she's in right now. It's really good you're able to at least visit semi frequently, and that the arrangement worked out!

What do you have on your wishlist once you get your own place?

Too much. Way too much. I'll finalize a Google Doc and post it here for public anonymous viewing.

Haha felt, I might sit down and do the same soon, a lot of fun to ponder on future animals while I can't get them yet.

[librarycat]

bit late but the halloween event is still on so!
i let my millipede have a play on a pumpkin for halloween

Oh WOW! That's a gorgeous pede, super jealous. Not sure where you're located but in the US all of the african giant pedes are sooo hard to get, there's some availability for some but you gotta pay big bucks for em.

haha i'm in the uk so she was like £20

i think the reason theyre so expensive over there is because of the mites they have?

[Leo & The Moths]

bit late but the halloween event is still on so!
i let my millipede have a play on a pumpkin for halloween

Oh WOW! That's a gorgeous pede, super jealous. Not sure where you're located but in the US all of the african giant pedes are sooo hard to get, there's some availability for some but you gotta pay big bucks for em.

haha i'm in the uk so she was like £20

i think the reason theyre so expensive over there is because of the mites they have?

That's part of it yeah The reason they're so expensive is the combination of how slow they grow and breed and the fact it's no longer legal to import new ones in, so we had to start breeding an isolated population with whichever ones we had in the US which has taken agesss. I'm absolutely an advocate for captive bred over wild caught but I don't think we had a huge population to start with.
The reason they're illegal is because of those invasive mites that imported individuals may carry, the mites pose a threat to US agriculture. Afaik the millipede population in the US does not tend to carry these mites, though you still have people illegally smuggling them into the country
Very envious of how easily you guys can get em though, the standard price for them here was ~£166 per for ages, just recently dropped to ~£125 on average

[librarycat]

oh wow that is quite a sum

what i want, eventully, is to have a bunch of cohabiting millipedes of different species - from my research, a long as they aren't closely related thay cant interbreed but also theyre ll pretty chill with each other (except for the flat or cyanide producing ones, but thats more of a passive hurt to the others than actual aggression. best kept apart)