Breeding Ground Beetles?

Inkie14

Inkie14

Fifth Instar
So I found a couple of these (PICTURE: http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j459/Inkie14/IMG_9038.jpg) running around my backyard patio at night. (I live in Central Valley in California) I think they're some kind of Ground Beetle? They're very, very fast.

I've seen some people offering Ground Beetles for sale. What do people usually buy them for? Are they fun to keep? I'm thinking about breeding these (since I breed everything I can find! lol). Any tips on breeding, care, etc?

Basically any information about these guys would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 
Ground beetles are primarily predators and many species live 1 to 2 years as adults. This is long compared to most beetles and so the adults are often kept as pets. Breeding is another story. It is possible, and has been done, but I am unaware of any true success stories with any species. (I have bred the big green, red, and purple Calosoma but my ultimate production was lower than my starting point). If someone could set up a repeatable methodology for rearing ground beetles and publish their findings that person would be A1 in my book.

 
Allpet Roaches said:
Ground beetles are primarily predators and many species live 1 to 2 years as adults. This is long compared to most beetles and so the adults are often kept as pets. Breeding is another story. It is possible, and has been done, but I am unaware of any true success stories with any species. (I have bred the big green, red, and purple Calosoma but my ultimate production was lower than my starting point). If someone could set up a repeatable methodology for rearing ground beetles and publish their findings that person would be A1 in my book.
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I have some WC black Calosoma in a communal tank. It is fun to watch them ambush red runners. They we not very good at catching the red runners when the substrate was bare but when I put a layer of dead leaves in they used it as places to hide and "sneak" up on the runners. They buried themselves and made chambers over the winter and are back running around the surface. No babies yet...

 
Like you said, Orin, it seems like carabids are one of those groups that is really easy to keep alive, but much more complicated to propagate.. I have't ever seriously tried to breed any species, but I got eggs from Calosoma scrutator by feeding them well and keeping them on moist soil in a planted terrarium. It seems like the biggest obstacles are getting females to ovipositor and then taking care of the ova...

"I breed everything I can..." I like that attitude!! Glad you found the article, but still make sure to record what you do for these guys. ;)

 
I haven't had much luck breeding carabids either, but someone has to have a large success sometime! Good luck if you go for it, Inkie14!

 
I have bred harpalus penslyvanicus, to some extent. The females will lay quite a few eggs in coco fiber, and in a bottle cap filled with wet toilet paper. Getting them to lay eggs was very easy, which was quite surprising. I got more larva than the number of beetles I started with. The larva are very weak, and prone to die for no reason. I fed them dead mealworms. In the end, I got one to pupate, but it died for no apparent reason. I hope this helps!

 
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They are. Hopefully more people get interested in breeding these beetles, maybe start some sorta club, compare notes and experiences in breeding different species. Just a thought, lol.

 
Thanks! yea kinda like them, compare experience and learn off each others successes and mistakes, that kinda thing. if a bunch of people got involved in breeding these, then there is a good chance somebody will have success.

 
I like this idea, Someone should find a bunch of these (a pair or more) and send them to people willing and have the tme for breeding these and record what works and what doesnt.

 
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