Fruit Beetle grubs: a good idea?

Cosmini37

New member
Hi there!

I'm always looking for ways to keep my leopard gecko Cosmo interested in his food by providing variety - he's a pretty good eater but I like to give him new experiences every now and again for enrichment.
I've been seeing fruit beetle grubs around a lot, and my question is whether or not that's a good thing for leos? Does anyone know anything about the nutritional content of these grubs - if they're more protein or fatty or calcium rich etc.? Any info about them would be helpful because I can't seem to find anything concrete online, many thanks in advance :)
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
I don't know anything about fruit beetle grubs.

Here's a reliable listing of other bugs and worms that are suitable for leos. Some of these food items are better nutritionally than others. :banana:

17342539_1319514908116112_444175116466682477_n.jpg
(click to enlarge)​
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
I wouldn't have thought that anyone had done nutritional analysis of the fruit beetle grub but I was wrong:
The Feeders ~ BUGS - *BambooZoo

Aliza

I checked BambooZoo's listing a couple times, Aliza. I could not find fruit beetle grubs.


I have not found anything detailing fruit beetle grubs' nutritional content.


PS:
Please see Hilde's detailed reply in post #10.
 
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acpart

Well-known member
I checked BambooZoo's listing a couple times, Aliza. I could not find fruit beetle grubs. When I googled them, fruit beetles are also know as Pachnoda marginata.


I have not found anything detailing fruit beetle grubs' nutritional content.

On the BambooZoo website, if you do a search for "fruit" you'll find it. It's under "Other" and the beetle is called "June Beetle/bug".

Aliza
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
On the BambooZoo website, if you do a search for "fruit" you'll find it. It's under "Other" and the beetle is called "June Beetle/Bug".

Aliza

Scroll down this link to The Worms/Grubs to Other, then to "June Beetle/Bug". Fruit Beetle Grubs are mentioned in the "fine print".



From BambooZoo's (Pat's) endeavors:
Nutritional Value of June Beetles/Bugs
3282684.jpg
(click to enlarge)​

Protein (g) 13.4
Fat (g) 1.4
Carbohydrate 2.9
Calcium (mg) 22.6
Iron (mg) 6.0

Info: Fruit Beetle Grubs are the larvae of the Fruit Beetle, also known as Japanese Beetles and June Bugs. Since they aren't common in the pet trade, the easiest way to get some of these is from places selling live bait for fishing.

Size Range: 1/2" - 2"

[MENTION=69849]Cosmini37[/MENTION]
[MENTION=59861]Herpin Man[/MENTION]
 
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Hilde

Administrator
Staff member
Scroll down this link to The Worms/Grubs to Other, then to "June Beetle/Bug". Fruit Beetle Grubs are mentioned in the "fine print".


That picture is not Pachnoda marginata, it's what we usually call June beetle, June bug, or sometimes, fruit beetle. Using common names can be confusing, which is why the binomial name is the best way to go.

Pachnoda marginata are completely different. They are sometimes kept as pets, and grubs are used for feeders, in Europe.
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Pachnoda_marginata
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
That picture is not Pachnoda marginata, it's what we usually call June beetle, June bug, or sometimes, fruit beetle. Using common names can be confusing, which is why the binomial name is the best way to go.

Pachnoda marginata are completely different. They are sometimes kept as pets, and grubs are used for feeders, in Europe.
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Pachnoda_marginata
I'm searching for the binomial name for June beetles.

What is the correct binomial name? Cotinis nitida look green! Do you know whether there are more than one subspecies?
 
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Hilde

Administrator
Staff member
I'm searching for the binomial name for June beetles.

What is the correct binomial name? Cotinis nitida look green! Do you know whether there are more than one subspecies?

According to Wiki, June beetle is the common name for several scarab beetles that appear around June in temperate parts of North America:
In subfamily Cetoniinae:
Cotinis nitida (Green June beetle) of the southeastern United States
Cotinis mutabilis (Figeater beetle) of the western and southwestern United States
In subfamily Melolonthinae:

Amphimallon solstitiale (European June beetle, summer chafer) of Europe (and other species of Amphimallon )
Melolontha (****chafers or May bugs) of Europe
Phyllophaga (May beetles) of the Americas
Polyphylla decemlineata (Ten-lined June beetle) of the western United States.
Rhizotrogus marginipes (and other species of Rhizotrogus )

June bug may refer to:
Phyllophaga, a genus of beetles in the subfamily Melolonthinae of the family Scarabaeidae, also known as June bugs or June beetles
Green June beetle (Cotinis nitida), of the southeastern United States
Ten-lined June beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata), of the western United States and Canada
Figeater beetle (Cotinis mutabilis), of the western and southwestern United States
European chafer (Rhizotrogus majalis/Amphimallon majalis), a beetle native to continental Europe, but now also in North America
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
I don't know anything about fruit beetle grubs.

Here's a reliable listing of other bugs and worms that are suitable for leos. Some of these food items are better nutritionally than others. :banana:

View attachment 49863
(click to enlarge)​

Cosmini37 ~

Do you wish to include somebody's message in your reply? Here is how to do that.

At the foot of every post you will see these choices: "Reply" & "Reply With Quote". WHEN you press the "Reply With Quote" button, that message will automatically be included in your Reply.
 
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