A beetle starts off as an egg before it becomes a larva. When it is larvae, it must go through 3 stages of development, commonly referred to as first-instar larvae (L1), second-instar larvae (L2) and third-instar larvae (L3). When the larvae are ready, they will construct an oval shaped pupa chamber in their flake soil. Then after some time, the prepupa larva will molt one last time into a pupa. You can think of it like a caterpillar creating a cocoon or a chrysalis. When the time is right, the beetle will emerge from their pupa chamber, and finally become an adult beetle.
Larval Period
It may be easier to think of these “instars” as “levels”.
The first instar/level (L1) comes right after the beetle larvae hatches from their egg. This is when the beetle larvae are most fragile, therefore they are usually sold at the L2 stage or after. At the end of each instar/level, the larva will molt, which allows the beetle’s head capsule to become bigger. The first and second instars/levels (L1 and L2) tend to take shorter amounts of time to develop, while the last one before pupation takes the longest amount of time. L1 usually only take up to 2 weeks, and L2 usually takes another 4-6 weeks, L3 is the longest stage period.
The larval period changes depending on the beetle species. Some smaller stag beetle species can finish their larval period within 4-6 months while larger beetles require 18-24 months to complete their larval period.
For Example:
Short: Crab Stag beetle larvae 4-6 Months
Medium: Rainbow Stag beetle larvae 1 Year for males, females 4-6 months
Long: Overlord Ghost stag, 14-24 months for males, females 12-16 months
Very Long: Neptune Rhino beetle, 2.5 years for males, females 2.5 years
In colder temperatures (below 70°F), the larval period may take longer and the larvae may grow larger. By the same logic, the larval period in warmer temperatures (75° F and above )are generally shorter and may result in smaller beetles.
Once they have completed their larval period, the beetle will begin its pre-pupal stage.
Pre-Pupa Stage
The changes the larvae go through when it is ready for the pre-pupa stage will be visible to you. You can see it is becoming prepupa when their skin becomes wrinkled and starts to look more yellow. They may also build their pupa chamber near the side of their container, allowing you to get a look at them.
This pupal chamber must be strong. If it is accidentally damaged or destroyed, you should construct a new substitute chamber because the larvae at this stage will no longer have the ability to construct a new one.
Here are two video guides by Mountain Forest Beetle for making artificial pupa chambers. One with cardboard, and one with floral foam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXIneGFDHRM&list=PLZ-mV4Ii6pO5ymCY3DPrtMuHjGp9B8IaG&index=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUIu3Zxx4DA&list=PLZ-mV4Ii6pO5ymCY3DPrtMuHjGp9B8IaG&index=3
A new artificial chamber can be constructed out of the larvaes own flake soil by molding an oval shape similar to the original pupa chamber, and placing the Prepupa larvae/Pupa in the middle. The important thing is that the artificial chamber’s shape holds, the beetle can use the walls to flip themselves over, and the chamber can hold moisture.
Pupa/Emerged Adult Stage
The Pupa stage will last around 1-2 months. You can tell when the pupa is getting close to emerging when the body, and eyes darken. When the beetle first emerges they are very fragile. Handling of newly emerged beetles is not recommended. Therefore, you should wait at least 2 weeks before digging up the emerged beetles. They will often come out looking red and yellow. Then their color will slowly change to their normal looking color within a few days.
Dormant Adult Stage
Congratulations on your newly emerged beetle! However there is still one more important step. The dormancy stage. Normally in the wild, beetles will spend their dormancy stage in their pupa chamber, waiting for their new bodies to fully develop before they are ready to dig their way out and feed. When rearing beetles, it is safe to dig them out of their pupa chamber before they are ready to emerge on their own; as long as their bodies have hardened and darkened to their natural color. When doing so though, try to keep handling as minimal as you can. The duration of this dormant stage varies based on the species. Just as like before, higher temperatures will usually shorten this stage. look to our blog post on care for newly emerged beetles for more details.
If you have any further questions, please contact us at
https://jamesbeetlefarm.com/pages/contact
Or get help from our amazing Discord community!
James