Description
One pair of both an adult male and female Euphoria inda.
Bumble flower beetles are small, fuzzy, mottled brown beetles that can be found buzzing around flowers during the day in summer months. This US native species is found across most states, most commonly along the Eastern seaboard and midwest. These beetles are shy and prefer to stay with legs tucked in when picked up, but are fast crawlers, very adept flyers, and explorative once they feel comfortable and safe. If handling, they are attracted to sunlight and windows when indoors and can readily fly away. An insect net may be useful to keep on hand if one escapes. A unique feature they possess among beetles is that they do not open their elytra (the rigid shell used to protect flight wings) when flying. This gives them an appearance to that of bumblebees in flight at a glance, producing a notable buzzing noise. They do not bite or sting and are completely harmless, and are not considered an agricultural pest.
For full lifecycle care, check out our Euphoria inda care guide.
They are very simple to take care of and require very little investment to keep. A small terrarium of at least 4-5″ on each side is suitable for a small number of beetles at room temperature. Provide a couple centimeters of loose soft substrate for burrowing. Sticks, pieces of cork, or other bark should be placed inside as means for the beetles to climb and to aid in righting themselves if flipped onto their backs. Keeping the substrate slightly moist and humid will prolong your beetles’ lifespan; coconut coir/fiber is ideal for retaining moisture, preventing mold growth, and reducing wear on their exoskeletons. In nature, these beetles snack on flower nectar and pollen, and occasionally fallen fruit. In captivity they will drink sugar water as a nectar replacement and are fond of soft, sweet fruit like melon. Cotton balls soaked in a 1:2 white sugar to water solution work for providing food, beetle jelly is largely ignored and not useful as a food source.
These beetles are approximately 1-1.5 cm in size. They are very seasonal beetles, emerging as adults in the early summer, remaining active through September or October after which they will become less interested in food and begin to burrow in preparation to hibernate through the winter. If provided a cool environment to undergo diapause (~50F/10C), adults will re-emerge in late February or early March to breed and lay eggs. Males tend to be smaller and have longer lamellate antennae than females. In captivity these beetles have developed from hatching to adulthood in 2-4 months, and a single female is capable of laying upwards of ~100 eggs in a mix of organic compost, flake soil, and rotten hardwood leaves over a few weeks time. (Origin: Cleveland Ohio)
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