General Information

This method is recommended for the care of newly emerged (adult) beetles and raising them for mating or simply for observation as a pet.

Temperature:

Adults should not be placed in areas that are too cold nor too hot. So in winter, they should not be placed in unheated areas and in the summer, they should not be placed in areas that are exposed to direct sunlight. A general guide which works for most species is the range of 18-26C.

Humidity:

Adults will gain all the moisture they need from their food, whether it be beetle jellies or fruit. The substrate should also be kept moist and not bone dry as it can wick away the moisture from their bodies when they breathe. The substrate should not be kept sopping wet either as this encourages the proliferation of mites and small flies.

Food:

Adults feed on sweet, sticky tree sap in the wild. In captivity, this can be substituted for using fruit or commercially available beetle jelly. When using fruit, sweet ones such as bananas, melons and apples are well accepted. Take care not to use any acidic fruits such as citruses like lemons and oranges as the acidity can damage their internal organs for some types of beetles due to their digestive system not being able to process it properly.

My recipe for homemade beetle jelly can be found HERE.

Perches:

Adult beetles are much like turtles and struggle to right themselves up when they flip over onto their backs. If left upside down, the beetle will waste all of its energy waving its legs around trying to fix themselves and will die very shortly after. This can be prevented by scattering perches such as pieces of bark and branches on the surface of the substrate which the beetle can grip onto to right themselves up.