Insects
Reptile and Amphibian Foods – Breeding and Rearing Grasshoppers and Locusts
Nov 25th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. The Domestic or House Cricket is perhaps the world’s most popular herp food, the closely-related locusts, grasshoppers and katydids have been neglected as a food source here in the USA. However, many are easily collected and bred in captivity, and offer important nutrients lacking in commercially-bred insects. What’s more, they are colorful, active and extremely interesting to work with – don’t be surprised if you begin keeping them as more than just a food item!
Natural History
Grasshoppers, crickets, locusts and katydids are classified in the Order Orthoptera. Over 20,000 species, inhabiting environments ranging from deserts to mountain tops, have been described. The USA is home to 1,000+ species.
Many grasshoppers sport a fantastic array of colors and shapes; some are barely visible to the naked eye, while others, such as New Guinea’s Phyllophora grandis, top 5 inches in length (please see photo of a Hooded Grasshopper). More >
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Loading ...New Cockroach, Discovered at a Tourist Resort, Jumps Like a Grasshopper
Nov 11th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Roaches are best known to herp enthusiasts as food for captive reptiles and amphibians. However, these very interesting insects are increasingly being valued as display animals in their own right, and are appearing in the pet trade (I find the lime-green Banana Roach, Panchlora nivea, to be among the most beautiful of all insects…please see photo and article below for information on keeping roaches). Recently, entomologists were surprised to discover a new species on the grounds of a famous South African resort. Christened the Leaproach, Saltoblattela monistabularis, it is the only one of its nearly 5,000 relatives known to jump, and on first glance looks much like a grasshopper.
A New Species at a Tourist Attraction
The Leaproach was first collected on the grounds of South Africa’s Table Mountain National Park, a mere 10 minute drive from Cape Town (please see photo). The park is visited by over 4 million people each year. More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Calciworms) as Food for Reptiles and Amphibians
Oct 18th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. The larvae of the Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia illucens, have recently attracted a great deal of interest as a food item for herps, birds, fishes and invertebrates. Also sold as “Phoenixworms”, “Calciworms”, “Reptiworms” and “Soldier Grubs”, they are reputed to be superior to other insects in nutritional value. However, much of what has been written about them is confusing and contradictory. Today I’ll review the available research and my own and other’s experiences and attempt to sort fact from fiction, science from opinion.
Nutritional Analysis
There has been some work done on the nutritional value of Black Soldier Fly larvae, and the reports are promising. In fact, a number of zoos now use them regularly.
Most importantly, their Calcium:Phosphorus ratio is approximately 1.5:1 – very close the 2:1 ration that is generally accepted as ideal for most reptiles and amphibians (a poor Calcium:Phosphorus ratio is the main reason that calcium supplementation of crickets is recommended). Also, the actual calcium content of Soldier Fly Larvae is extraordinarily high – up to 8,155ppm as opposed to 20-135ppm in mealworms and crickets. More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...World’s Largest Arachnids – Eight-Foot-Long Scorpions of Ancient Seas
Jul 19th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. While the Emperor Scorpion and the South African Flat Rock Scorpion are, by today’s standards, huge and impressive, they pale in comparison to their extinct relatives. Imagine, if you will, an 8-foot-long scorpion sporting spiked claws that extended 2 feet from its body! Well, thanks to newly uncovered fossil evidence, we need not imagine so hard – such fantastic beasts did indeed exist. Known as Sea Scorpions or Pterygotid Eurypterids, some, such as Acutiramus, were larger than a person!
Natural History
Sea Scorpions are the ancestors of modern-day scorpions, and perhaps of all Arachnids. Pre-dating the dinosaurs, they emerged approximately 470 million years ago, and roamed the seas (and fresh waters) for over 100 million years. More >
(-1 rating, 1 votes) Loading ...Stag Beetle Conservation, with Notes on Keeping Large Beetles
May 12th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Beetle-keeping is a small but expanding hobby here in the USA, but is amazingly popular in Japan, where beetle larvae are even sold in vending machines (I experienced this first-hand, and can say they survive the ordeal quite well!). Beetles are classified in the order Coleoptera, which exceeds all other animal orders in species diversity, and they play a vital role most ecosystems. Beetle conservation, however, is in its infancy, so I was very pleased to learn of new efforts on behalf of the UK’s largest species, the European Stag Beetle, Lucanus servus.
Elusive Quarry
The European Stag Beetle (please see photo) is likely in sharp decline, but no one knows why. They are very hard to study…adults do not feed and so cannot be lured to traps, and digging for buried larvae often kills them and destroys their habitat. More >
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