Cotinis worries

[Guest AlexW]

My Cotinis beetle seems to be lacking in appetite. In the past few days it would lick fruits if they were on its mouth, but soon walked right past. Today I managed to get it to lick fig pulp for about 10-20 min eventually. At first it performed the usual walk-away routine, but after giving some water (accepted but not eagerly) and exposure to sunlight (flower beetles become more active in presence of heat and light) it stayed on the fruit. As the beetles can usually seem to feed for hours at a time, this may not be enough. I later gave it some other sugary liquids, which it also licked for a while, but right now it seems to have fallen asleep on the dining table after being moved indoors.

Do you think that being kept in a rather gloomy (but not pitch-black) environment would be the culprit of this problem by causing the diurnal insect to become lethargic?

[Guest AlexW]

Today the insect and its roommate have resumed their voracity.

[Redmont]

I would guess that being kept to dark would be the problem, sence they are a flower beetle they would prefer to be kept brighter, and they may breed at a certain tempature, also I wonder if maple syrup would give a better feeding response   

[Guest AlexW]

If you read the blog, it says that the adults are eagerly trying to mate with each other (you'll see why it's "trying"). I've wondered about syrup too, because sap seems to be their natural diet (before humans imported all the fruit trees).

[Guest AlexW]

Does anyone know why the scarabs try to frantically climb walls? In darklings this behavior seems stress-induced. It may be related to food issues or humidity, as certain fruits were ignored while others were eagerly licked and putting a beetle in the yard placated it somewhat.

If no one answers I will use humidity gradients and varied foods to investigate.

[Redmont]

I think it is a natural reaction for them to climb walls, you can experiment with temps and humidity or food but I don't think it will do any thing their not meant to be kept in cages.

[Guest AlexW]

I'm still a bit suspicious though, because beetles placed on an outdoor peach will often stay lethargically on that peach until nighttime (when they burrow into dirt to sleep).

The lack of appetite seems to have returned today, although the room was somewhat bright. They did lick diluted agave syrup when blueberry was refused, though. I will keep them a little brighter tomorrow as an experiment.

 

 

[Guest AlexW]

Today they seem normal again.

[Guest AlexW]

And today I have a completely different sort of worry.

How could I clean off a beetle? The cage tends to attract filth-feeding flies.

[Redmont]

What is on the beetle? Mites, or fly larvae? You could use a qtip to clean the beetle, also keeping the enclosure a little dryer woudent  Hurt 

[Guest AlexW]

I meant that the beetles had multiple encounters with greenbottle flies in the house (there are droppings in the yard) and also have the smell of their own waste-products. They are lousy at self-hygiene, and I don't want to be forced to use gloves every day.

[Guest AlexW]

I will increase airflow to get rid of the smell.

[Guest AlexW]

@Allpet Roaches and @Peter Clausen want to share flowerbeetle experience (Gymnetis and other sp are ok too)?

[Allpet Roaches]

Adult Gymnetis have a really cool nutty smell but the larvae are odorless, sounds like spoiled substrate or something else in the cage.

 

[Guest AlexW]

I strongly suspect that failure of paper towels to absorb wastes is responsible. They live in a salsa jar with only damp towels, which are unlikely to stink by themselves. 

I wonder where the nutty scent comes from. Perhaps it is from compounds in the frass.

[Guest AlexW]

Update

It seems that the wastes are much less noxious when the enclosure is kept mostly dry (carrots used as slow-release substrate humidifier).