# Brunneria hatchling care



## mantisfan101 (Jan 6, 2020)

I am hoping to get some of these but their tiny size intimidates me and I was told that I need springtails as a first food source. Does anyone have experience with this species?


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## MrGhostMantis (Jan 7, 2020)

They don’t really need springtails and will take melenogaster fruit flies just fine. When are you getting them?


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## mantisfan101 (Jan 7, 2020)

I read in orin’s book that the first instar nymphs are really small and will need springtails or Firebrat larvae. They should come on Wednesday or Thursday, but the ooths apparently take forever to hatch.


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## MrGhostMantis (Jan 7, 2020)

I also heard from @Jaywo they do fine with fruit flies.


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## MantisGirl13 (Jan 7, 2020)

I've had L2s that could barely take down a fruit fly, so I imagine the L1s would need something smaller. 

- MantisGirl13


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## hysteresis (Jan 7, 2020)

Its been suggested to me that the tiny little ff at the end of a culture's life cycle are great for that.


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## mantisfan101 (Jan 7, 2020)

I plan on getting a springtail culture started and going back to fruit flies if they reach L4; would this work?


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## MrGhostMantis (Jan 7, 2020)

Yes it would.


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## MantisGirl13 (Jan 7, 2020)

mantisfan101 said:


> I plan on getting a springtail culture started and going back to fruit flies if they reach L4; would this work?


You can do fruit flies possibly at L2, definitely L3.

- MantisGirl13


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## tracy (Jan 9, 2020)

hysteresis said:


> Its been suggested to me that the tiny little ff at the end of a culture's life cycle are great for that.


... I didn't even think of that.

We have about a dozen or so from our brunner and I've been wondering about this in general. They aren't due to start hatching until at least May-ish, and we have plenty of springtails, but still. Alternatives are good to ponder.


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## hysteresis (Jan 9, 2020)

@tracy I have one in diapause, in my fly fridge. Couple more months we'll let 'er rip.


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## Jaywo (Jan 10, 2020)

Alternatives:

They will take down melanogasters not hydeis. If you can get your hands on aphids in your yard or anywhere (they are everywhere). They like those too.

But after a few days of hunger they will take down melanogaster fruit flies. They have small jaws but even at such a small size, strong enough raptors. It takes them a long time to eat once they catch prey but they manage.  I'm on generation 5 of brunners.


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## mantisfan101 (Jan 10, 2020)

Jaywo said:


> Alternatives:
> 
> They will take down melanogasters not hydeis. If you can get your hands on aphids in your yard or anywhere (they are everywhere). They like those too.
> 
> But after a few days of hunger they will take down melanogaster fruit flies. They have small jaws but even at such a small size, strong enough raptors. It takes them a long time to eat once they catch prey but they manage.  I'm on generation 5 of brunners.


I don’t have aphids but I have a ton of fungust gnats, if it helps. Will they take melanogaster even at L1? Would it help to get a springtail culture?


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## Jaywo (Jan 12, 2020)

Spring tails are good, they will take Melanogaster at L1 (at least most of mine did). Gnats works too but they are hard to catch for the brunners, they are fast fliers. Give it a try, won't hurt.


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## tracy (Jan 15, 2020)

Thanks for the insight @Jaywo!


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## hysteresis (Jan 15, 2020)

Im new here 

How does one feed springtails to nymphs?

The ones available to me are in a soupy mess cup with a bit of yeast or whatever, on top.


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## Jaywo (Jan 16, 2020)

hysteresis said:


> Im new here
> 
> How does one feed springtails to nymphs?
> 
> The ones available to me are in a soupy mess cup with a bit of yeast or whatever, on top.


lol, yeah they are messy. I would just leave the soupy mess and put a covering over it with a larger enough hole that the springtails can exit. and then put bounty almost fully covering the hole. I don't use them because they are a pain and the nymphs can just drown in the mess. But, if thats all you have then thats all you have. I go aphid hunting for mine since they hatch to coincide with the aphid season here.


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## tracy (Jan 19, 2020)

Well, this was a timely thread! We didn't really expect any of our ooths to hatch for a while. One little lady decided she was ready. I suppose we'll be seeing more of her sisters over time.

She happily took the smallest melanogaster we could find in our cultures.

Last year we had gotten a couple of L2s (I think) along with an adult (the one who laid our ooths) and the L2s struggled with melanogaster. I don't recall if that was a period where we had some of our unusually large melanogaster or not. Thankfully we have tons now from all the ghost nymphs, and many are pretty small.

In other words, slightly less intimidated now.


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