- Messages
- 250
- Location
- Dallas Texas
Found this little guy while cleaning out the feeder enclosure. I'm guessing a springtail but haven't seen one before.
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Springtail?
- Thread starter RonC
- Start date
- Messages
- 6,382
- Location
- The Oregon rain forest
Dermestes
- Messages
- 1,079
- Location
- Mt Barker South Australia
Yes, Flesh Eating Beetle larva!!! Mah hah hahhh!
I just like the name! They're a relative of the carpet beetle, suppliers of live food use them as a clean up crew, they eat any dead flesh present, ie dead roaches and crickets. They're mainly used by taxidermists to clean skulls and skeletons, they much prefer flesh, but if pushed will eat hides and hair. I have a little colony and they clean bones up nicely, but will not eat fresh meat, it needs to be semi dried otherwise they're just not interested.
They're harmless, it's probably a good idea to add it back to the feeder colony once you set it back up, they stop the stink from dead insects in the colony.
I just like the name! They're a relative of the carpet beetle, suppliers of live food use them as a clean up crew, they eat any dead flesh present, ie dead roaches and crickets. They're mainly used by taxidermists to clean skulls and skeletons, they much prefer flesh, but if pushed will eat hides and hair. I have a little colony and they clean bones up nicely, but will not eat fresh meat, it needs to be semi dried otherwise they're just not interested.
They're harmless, it's probably a good idea to add it back to the feeder colony once you set it back up, they stop the stink from dead insects in the colony.
- Messages
- 250
- Location
- Dallas Texas
Only found the one and figured it was escaped cleanup crew so put it back. Thanks
- Messages
- 1,811
- Location
- UK
nice to learn a little about all these bugs we come across-so thanks for the info you guys
- Messages
- 1,811
- Location
- UK
do any of you use springtails in your enclosures in particular @Arachnoclown or @Dave Jay ?
- Messages
- 6,382
- Location
- The Oregon rain forest
Only with my species that require moist substrate...Theraphosa, Hysterocrates, Phormingochilus ect...
- Messages
- 1,811
- Location
- UK
- Messages
- 1,079
- Location
- Mt Barker South Australia
I haven't used any clean up crews with tarantulas at as yet, but I have used slaters with scorpions, lizards and frogs. My tarantulas are all in fairly small enclosures bar one so at this stage I haven't really set up a proper bio--active tarantula enclosure but I will very soon, I have plenty of aquariums to choose from and a few actual vivariums.
The reason I haven't used springtails is because I thought there weren't any in my garden (25yrs with no chemicals), but because of this question I found out the 8 to 10mm "sand fleas" under the rocks in my garden are actually a large species of springtail! I had thought they came with rocks I collected from the beach 20 years ago, duh!
