Report of general breeding of the Lucanidae

The Lucanidae are coleopters whose reproduction remains difficult about her specificity and prolificity which is not as high as the Dynastidae, Cetonidae, Tenebrionidae…

The reproduction lies in the contribution of dead wood logs, in which the female lucanidae will dig and lay its eggs. It's in this log that the larva will spent all his stage larval.

Here a presentation of breeding of Lucanidae, in fact Homoderus mellyi.

I. Breeding box :

The Lucanidae live for the majority, in wet, dark places and where wood is in abundance.

The female digs in the log, the dead tree trunk which is appropriate to him and deposits its eggs there. It's necessary to be able to propose to her several wet logs in decomposition in the same breeding box.

Types of wood turpentines to be used and which are easily out of drill are the beech, the white birch and the oak.

The good size of a breeding box is 40X30X40, with a lid bored for ventilations.

Before placing the logs in the vat, it's imperative to put at the bottom layer,a fine and wet wood crushed on approximately 10 to 15 cm height or more if it's possible. Or to bury at a half the logs in the wood substrate..

Wood used is the same, the beech, the white birch and the oak.

II. Feeding imago ?

The Lucanidae like banana, however, with moisture, acarina and drosophilas develop themself quickly. It's better to use beetle jelly.

Moreover it supports the longevity of the adults and supports the layings.

III. Larvae :

A few months after having introduced the couples (2) adult into the box of breeding, we check the logs and seek the larvae. Generally the larvae develop in the logs at the place where we observes cavities dug by the females.

A larva d'Homoderus mellyi L2. Open delicately logs to not crush larvae.

Total twenty larvae.

Another larva placed inside the log.

The larvae are then carefully placed in individual box of one liter, with a substrate only made up of wood, crushed fine.

The larvae are deposited in a hole dug with the finger, then covered with substrate.

To finish, Brreding boxs are closed with the lids without forgetting ventilations (bored beforehand).

Another example of breeding :

Lamprima adolphinae breeding.