Description
Captive born and bred larva of the Ox Beetle, Strategus aloeus. Unsexed. Shipped individually in deli cups of flake soil which should last as their food source for 2-3 weeks. Included with each larva will be a “beetle birth certificate” which details important dates in your larva’s life.
Larvae have 3 distinct larval phases, or instars, separated by molts where their head capsule will noticeably enlarge. L1 (larval phase 1) lasts roughly a month after hatching; L2 lasts 1-2 months; L3 typically lasts for 10-22 months. In their larval form, they eat decayed hardwood or flake soil. Ox beetle larvae prefer their substrate more moist and deep, misting the surface of substrate weekly helps maintain moisture and humidity. Third instar (L3) larvae should be upgraded to 32oz or larger containers with more depth than width, large 2qt mason jars with ventilated lids or cheesecloth banded over the mouth of the jar work well for this. Larvae should be checked on every 2-3 months and substrate refreshed when lots of frass is visible on the surface.
At late L3, the larva may be a yellowish color and be seen on the surface frequently. This is considered “wandering” behavior as they are exploring and looking for a suitable place to pupate. At this stage, you can try re-wetting and mixing the substrate up, compressing the bottom half of the container to create a sense of depth, adding a few ounces of sand and topsoil, and/or putting a 1″ layer of natural clay at the bottom of the container. Ox beetles can be picky at this stage, so it may take a few mixes once a month before they finally stop wandering and settle down to form a pupal cell. They will remain in the cell for up to 2-6 months before pupating.
The pupal stage takes 1-2 months before eclosing into an adult. Fresh adults will remain dormant for an additional 4-10 months until they become active and will feed. Adult lifespan once active can be upwards of 1-2 years.
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