Is there any way to legally import hercules/stag beetles from Japan to the US? Do permits take care of the illegality, if I just want to keep them as pets?
>>2121788
Do your research first please
I bred different kinds of Dynastinae/Cetoniidae/Lucanidae
I don't want to explain all this shit again, but here are a few things you might want to know.
1 of all, if you don't want to breed them or don't have patience, don't even try to get any kind of Dynastinae or Lucanidae
For D. hercules and his subspecies:
> 3 Larval stages which usually last for about 620 DAYS
>Pupal stage another few months
>Adults live for about 70 Days
>the higher quality food the Larvae get, the bigger the male will be
>The higer quality of food the adult female gets, the more eggs it will lay
So you basically take care of buckets of Forest soil and white rotten wood for a few years.
After that the adult beetles are too burrowed all day, thr females mate and are mostly borrowed in the soil after that
the males come out at night and fly around while beeing so loud , that you can't even hear a helicopter landing next to you
All this pretty much holds true for any kind of Dynastinae/Lucanidae
(Larval/adult time different in every species, different food, etc.)
Sounds fun?
If you are still interested in breeding any kind of Giant-/Or Stagbeetle, I might convince myself to give you more info
But I guess, if you you are thinking of importing them from Japan, you are just some weeb who likes the japanese beetle fight and now thinks keeping a beetle is like keeping a snake or something
Because there are breeders all over the fucking world
If not, then sorry
>>2121859
Why is breeding them so important? I keep a lot of other insects/arthropods, and Japan or Thailand seemed to be my only option to import big beetles. I'm fine with putting in the work to breed them, I have a lot of spare time, lol. Are you from America? My main concern is if I can even import them.
>>2121881
Legally? No, unless you get a form approved by the USDA. Here is the form you'll need to fill out:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/import-information/permits
Realistically? Many people skip the form and buy the insects anyways.
>>2121883
One of these forms might be better actually:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/animal-health-permits
>>2121883
I was looking at that form earlier and it seemed like I needed to be studying them, or something. But, i'll still probably fill it out. What happens if customs were to find out? Jail time?
>>2121881
because the adults live for max. 2 months
That's why it is not so great to buy a single male beetle
If you really want to breed them
Look for one Species you want.
I would recommend you Allomyrina dichotoma, these are big, easy to breed (all Dynastes are not really for beetle beginners) and their life-cycle is not that long
Look a bit into them
If you like them, I could give you detailed infos on how to breed them
Maybe I can even get some larvas shipped to you, if you do the paperwork you need
and no, I'm not from the US
It hurts me that beetles are so cool but have such shit life spans.
>>2121881
>Why is breeding them so importan
>wanting a pet that lives 2 months
I don't think you pay attention all that well.
>>2122101
yes, they are the "traditional" ones, they call them Kabutomushi or something
as I said, they are relatively easy to breed, live a bit longer than Dynastes species, but their larval stages as well as the pupal stage doesn't last nearly as long.
Also, the males are often active during the daytime
>>2122106
looks a bit strange to me..
>>2122113
Sounds good. I was just looking at hercules beetles because of their size. Where do you get your beetles from?
>>2122115
I thought so, but A. dichotoma isn't small either
Xylotrupes gideon would also be an option for a "Dynastinae-Starter"
I got my beetles as larvae from various private breeders, either via forums or on reptile expos
>>2122119
Ah, there is a reptile expo tommorow near me. Do most expos have insect sellers?
>>2122129
At least here in europe, there are always many inverts at the expos
I don't know if it's the same for us shows, but I guess it's the same
I'd rather suggest assassin bugs instead of beetles. They don't have the shitty underground larval stages, breed themselves, are active hunters, live longer.
>>2122145
I find these mother fuckers all the time. There is one living somewhere in my room this very second.
I have found him twice just chilling on my pillow when I was about to go to sleep
>>2122129
>>2122119
If you really want an insect as a pet think about a pray mantis. Those guys are extremely cool looking and have a lot of personality.
They will look you in the eye so its a bit weird at first. The way they move their heads is very human like. They will follow you with your head as you move around your room. It really seems like they are processing and that there is something going on in their little heads.
I had a few of pic related hang out in my balcony when I lived in florida. They are super fucking cute.
Are you aware of how much these fuckers cost? If you don't want to watch a tub of finely-sieved rotting wood for 2-3 years, you'll have to empty your wallet for something as big as D. hercules. They're incomparable to captive bugs in most ways, and are more of a small investment than a pet. Instead of pissing away money on expensive and rare imports, I'd suggest trying to get hold of your native D. tityus, and seeing how you manage with those. Pic related, 2 of my long-dead dudes and a shit blue one I impulse-bought in Hiroshima.
>>2122145
I already own one of these guys.
>>2122176
I've thought about mantises as well, but I don't have a food supply for them, unless they'll take mealworms/roaches.
>>2122139
Ok, I'll check it out and see what I can find.
>>2122197
Yes, I've looked for D. tityus, but it's sold out or only in larvae form wherever I go.
>>2122145
I still have a scar from one of those things
Fuck it hurt
>>2122220
They scar when they bite? Thank god I use long tweezers.
>>2122213
Mantises can live on mealworms and roaches, roaches would be better. Petstore crickets or any moth, cricket, fly, etc you find could work too, mantises are really easy to take care of and fun to feed and handle. Lots of really interesting looking exotic species too if you feel like paying for them.
>>2122213
crickets are fine for em and you can buy them at any petstore. Or mealworms from any bait shop.
Mantis are probably t he most fun insect pet. You can handle them and they are just curious little creatures.
>>2121788
One of these guys was crawling around on my front steps one day and I live in Wisconsin.
No idea where he came from. For years afterward I assumed they were native bugs, I was quite surprised when I found out that they aren't.
>>2122603
crickets are not fine for many mantids
don't even try to feed any species in the Empusidae family crickets, they will surely die
Also, pretty much every species which is specialized on eating flying insects usually can't live off crickets
>>2122661
>crickets are not fine for many mantids
what the fuck are you even talking about.
Way to buy into bullshit spread over the internet.
>>2121788
What for, OP?
>>2122197
>a shit blue one I impulse-bought in Hiroshima
Hope you didn't pay the breeder too much for that one m8. I put some honey out and attract them pretty easily where I am.
>>2122697
Just to own, I guess. Maybe breed them?
>>2122606
>I was quite surprised when I found out that they aren't.
the one you saw was.
>>2122672
personal experience + experiments, not just some bullshit I just read on the internet
Ever had Gongylus gongylodes?
Ever tried to feed one only with crickets it's entire life?
Same with pretty much every Empusidae I ever bred
But maybe it was just coincidence, but it's better safe than sorry
Also, what would be the problem with buying Maggots and letting them hatch or buying Flies?
>>2122820
I forgot something:
As long as crickets are not the main food, there is nothing wrong with feeding crickets to Empusidae
Battling stag beetles is really a Stand battle.
>>2122821
>>2122820
From what I have read, the crickets themselves aren't the problem but how the crickets are kept.
If the crickets themselves live in a dirty environment they will become toxic.(From the bateria and the like) But if the crickets are fed properly and have their enclosure cleaned then they will be fine.
I keep my own crickets for my lizard and frogs and yeah the importance of keeping a clean cricket population is something people look over. Pet stores are a fucking disaster.
To OP and other's that don't know.. do not EVER, as in FUCKING EVER bring in crickets, grasshoppers, or other insects/bugs/larvae from outside to feed your pets. You have absolutely no idea what kind of chemicals those creatures have been sprayed with. Weed killers, fertilizers, and insect killing sprays will all make your pet sick or die.
This should be common sense but I have seen people do it still. Then they wonder why their reptile fucking dies.
>>2123446
Right, one problem is the cricket hygiene!
But the real problem with crickets is their very high protein content compared to most flying insects.
The high protein content leads to too fast growth/weakness and therefore molting issues in Empusidae
the hygiene aspect is very important for reptiles too, that's why I prefer Roaches, Flies and Locusts as feeders, their nutritional value is higer than that if crickets.
But I don't want to say that crickets are not good feeders! It's just that I prefer other insects.
Oh, I often caught bees/wasps/flies outdoors for my Mantids.
But I live relatively far away from the city and trust me, thr insects that come in contact with insecticides are not flying around in your garden, because most of these Toxins kill quick
But I live in europe, I don't know what's the case where you live.
So it's better to listen to this anon and don't feed "wild" food
>>2122606
I had one in my room in Connecticut when i was like 11 my first thought was it was not real as my stepmother liked to get little toy bugs and scare us with them and also i had never seen one before. i moved it around with a sock it didn't seem to be moving i showed my brother and he freaked because it was actually moving lol called my dad over and he got rid of it
>>2123506
bees and the like are pretty vulnerable to chemicals.
But roaches and crickets? Those fuckers can live through anything. If you live in the city you don't even have to be the one that sprays, or even your neighbors. Most cities will drive trucks around and spray for mosquitoes. These sprayings and farm spraying is wrecking the bee population in a lot of areas.
Also living next to a farm will give you a lot of runoff of a massive amount of chemicals. If you live in a rural area away from farms you're probably fine.
>>2121859
Don't certain species of stag beetle adults live for 2+ years in captivity?
>>2124116
Different anon, but I think some small temperate species can survive 1-2 years as adults - but most will get worn out by the end of summer and get rekt by a crow or something. Anything big or fancy enough to be worth keeping in captivity has a shit lifespan though.
