Need help to ID larva
- Thread starter DanaD
- Start date
WingedWolfPsion
New member
Well, they look like beetle larvae. I'll grant you, they don't look like T. moliter, or like T. obscurus, though. The little forking at the tail end is strange. Dermestid larvae are much hairier and shorter.
I think what you're looking at are grain beetles or flour beetles.
Tribolium (flour beetle) larva: larva of flour beetle
life cycle of flour beetle
My suggestion is to treat that mealworm culture more carefully than most, as you don't want the flour beetles to escape and get into your pantry--but I see you have some small geckos, and flour beetle larvae are often cultured for small herps, so you might as well take advantage of them.
I think what you're looking at are grain beetles or flour beetles.
Tribolium (flour beetle) larva: larva of flour beetle
life cycle of flour beetle
My suggestion is to treat that mealworm culture more carefully than most, as you don't want the flour beetles to escape and get into your pantry--but I see you have some small geckos, and flour beetle larvae are often cultured for small herps, so you might as well take advantage of them.
DanaD
New member
Yes, they actually do look like flour beetle larvae, although I do culture some specie of flour beetle and that one is much smaller (the beetle is about the size of a fruit fly). I used them last summer to raise some L. lugubris hatchlings.
I'll try to culture those as well, because they seem to be the perfect size for juvie/adult L. williamsi and L. lugubris.
To be honest, right now I'm so desperate to get my hands on anything else other than mealworms and crickets (I haven't had much luck breeding crickets), that I'll try to culture anything. :roll:
And thanks for your reply!
I'll try to culture those as well, because they seem to be the perfect size for juvie/adult L. williamsi and L. lugubris.
To be honest, right now I'm so desperate to get my hands on anything else other than mealworms and crickets (I haven't had much luck breeding crickets), that I'll try to culture anything. :roll:
And thanks for your reply!
WingedWolfPsion
New member
I'm getting some flightless fruit flies, springtails, and tropical pillbugs for mine. ^_^
I've started a mini-mealworm culture, too. My williamsi seem to be willing to eat anything small enough.
Keep us updated on what those turn into.
I've started a mini-mealworm culture, too. My williamsi seem to be willing to eat anything small enough.
Keep us updated on what those turn into.