468 Phylum Arthropoda 



Family scarabaeidae 



j 



METHODS OF BREEDING AND REARING SCARABAEIDAE 



Henry Fox, U. S. Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, and Daniel 

 Ludwig, University College, New York University 



THE methods employed in the breeding and rearing of Scarabaeidae 

 are largely modifications of those described by Davis (1915). It 

 is evident from his account that they need to vary, depending largely 

 on whether the rearing is to be done out-of-doors, under essentially 

 natural conditions, or in the laboratory under controlled conditions. The 

 following procedure has reference to the needs of controlled experimenta- 

 tion, but it could be easily adapted to the ordinarily less exacting needs 

 of out-of-door work. 



COLLECTION OF MATERIAL AND METHODS OF INDUCING OVIPOSITION 



To obtain a supply of eggs with which to begin rearing experiments, 

 adult beetles are collected and confined under conditions that will lead 

 to oviposition. In most cases, little difficulty is experienced in bringing 

 this about. The beetles are gathered off the foliage, transferred to the 

 laboratory, and confined in suitable cages. Even if the females are not 

 already impregnated when collected, mating usually takes place readily 

 once the two sexes are brought together. There are, however, some 

 Scarabaeidae, particularly those with a highly elaborate copulatory 

 apparatus, like that existing in the larger May beetles of the genus 

 Phyllophaga Harris {Lachnosterna Hope), which do not readily mate in 

 confinement. In these instances, it is best to secure material already 

 mated. Mating pairs can be readily obtained at night on the foliage of 

 trees and bushes by the aid of a flashlight. 



In transporting beetles from the field to the laboratory, it is very im- 

 portant to protect them against crowding, excessive heat, and desicca- 

 tion. Overcrowding may be prevented by placing not more than 50 to 

 100 beetles to a pint jar and including some twigs of a food plant bearing 

 foliage to enable the beetles to crawl about. The injurious effects of 

 direct exposure to sunlight may be prevented by covering the jars with 

 a thick cloth or other suitable device. To protect the beetles against 

 desiccation, the use of containers which permit a ready escape of moisture 

 should by all means be avoided. Glass jars or metal boxes, with firmly 

 fitted lids, are satisfactory, provided enough air space is left for re- 

 spiratory needs. Even in such containers it is often desirable to place 

 a sprig of moistened foliage or to add a few slices of some highly 

 succulent fruit such as apple. 



