Another favorite critter: ROCKBRATS !!
- Thread starter Matt K
- Start date
Chris Driggers
Third Instar
Those are pretty cool looking. hw easy are they to care for?
Matt K
Eurycotis
Super easy. They feed on wheat germ and flake fishfood. They eat very little. You never water them EVER and they like to be kept around 100'F. (I use a reptile cage heater). Nymphs hatch out aboutthe size of the period at the end of this sentence. They grow to around 3/4 of an inch long (pictured). Great food for small creatures incl. dart frog, slings, etc.
**Caution. They need to be kept in a sealed container with a paper filter for a screen/air. If you have a hot place in the house (ie. over a water heater, radiator, stove, oven, refridgerator compressor, etc.) they can live there. Though they seem not inclined to escape.
**Caution. They need to be kept in a sealed container with a paper filter for a screen/air. If you have a hot place in the house (ie. over a water heater, radiator, stove, oven, refridgerator compressor, etc.) they can live there. Though they seem not inclined to escape.
Roachfreak101
Second Instar
Hey Matt, people, clue me in what kind of insect are they?
I've heard of them, but know nothing about them.
Ken
I've heard of them, but know nothing about them.
Ken
Bricktop
Third Instar
Matt K
Eurycotis
Ooops. :blink: That is a photo of a Fire Brat.... Rockbrats are more angular and alpine ..the culture I have is not tolerating Texas so well....
FIREBRATS, one of the most primitive of all insects living today. Neat-o to culture, good food for anything that eats small bugs. They reproduce pretty quickly in extreme heat. Water them and they die off pretty fast too. I like the novelty of something that requires no water to live... small, only up to 3/4 inch, but kinda colorful and active off and on. Super easy to rear.
I just like keeping all sorts of bugs. Its the best fun I have had for the most part.
FIREBRATS, one of the most primitive of all insects living today. Neat-o to culture, good food for anything that eats small bugs. They reproduce pretty quickly in extreme heat. Water them and they die off pretty fast too. I like the novelty of something that requires no water to live... small, only up to 3/4 inch, but kinda colorful and active off and on. Super easy to rear.
I just like keeping all sorts of bugs. Its the best fun I have had for the most part.
Chris Driggers
Third Instar
Where can I get a culture of these critters? I think DoubleD's was selling cultures at one time, do you know of anyone else selling them?
Matt K
Eurycotis
Double D's may or may not have them, but they keep anything they have had in the past few years on thier site anyway.
I think Blaberus.com may be having them in the near future. When I emailed James a while back he told me he was trying to establish reliable lines of various "feeder" bugs including firebrats. If he started some at or after I started mine, I would guess he should be due in two or three months for them... maybe a little less.
EffeCi
Third Instar
I guess Rockbrats are Thysanura, Family Machilidae (Jumping Bristletails?)... I often meet them during the night in my bug-huntings...
I'm happily breeding silverfishes... I built my starting colony catching them one by one, on the wall in front of my home, at night, walking my dog....
Here are some pictures...
I'm happily breeding silverfishes... I built my starting colony catching them one by one, on the wall in front of my home, at night, walking my dog....
Here are some pictures...
RosenKrieger
Eighth Instar
I just caught one of these at school today. 
Scythemantis
Ootheca
I have always wanted to culture silverfish, especially big ones (none are particularly big, but a few get larger than those pictured so far, I think)...but I've only ever found maybe two in my entire life! I'd buy some if anybody finds a few.
Effeci: Where do they lay their eggs and how do you keep the eggs for hatching? How do you provide moisture in that setup? It doesn't look like there's any water.