# MINARD'S INSECTARIUM!



## minard734 (May 4, 2012)

BEHOLD!

Ignore my voice, I sound like a dork. Hahaha!


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## mkayum (May 5, 2012)

*bask* WOW!

Nice colors on the large beetles!


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## CoolMantid (May 5, 2012)

I wanna learn how to pin insects!


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## maybon (May 5, 2012)

Well if you really want to know you can read this thread from another forum, http://www.insectstore.com/phasmid/showthread.php?t=991. It has a pretty good guide on how to pin phasmids. Which is the exact same way to pin a mantis and similar for beetles.


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## brancsikia339 (May 5, 2012)

awesome!


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## agent A (May 5, 2012)

cool! what is your lucanus setup? i SUCK at rearing even capreolus

can u give me step by step instructions on how to setup and rear all stages of lucanus capreolus?

also, do u rear saturniid moths??


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## CoolMantid (May 5, 2012)

agent A said:


> cool! what is your lucanus setup? i SUCK at rearing even capreolus
> 
> can u give me step by step instructions on how to setup and rear all stages of lucanus capreolus?
> 
> also, do u rear saturniid moths??


You read my mind! I just thinking of asking that lol!


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## minard734 (May 7, 2012)

If you guys wanna keep lucanus adults... I suggest you do this:

Put in 1 inch of ground up substrate made of decayed oak or another hardwood (and make sure it is cleaned either by cooking, boiling, or freezing). THEN insert a log that is a good 4 inches long or MORE... make sure it's 2-5 inches wide. AND make sure it's hardwood, preferably oak. After you do this fill the cage with a few more inches of substrate... at least cover 3/4 of the log you put in but REALLY the best idea is to bury it with an inch of substrate over the top of the log even. Then feed them banana. TADA!!! This is for females to lay eggs btw... the submerged log.

NOw for lavae... make a cup full of substrate with a screen lid ruberbanded to it. TADAAAAA!!!

For elaphus... after it is a BIG and ready L3... put clay in the bottom for a pupal cell.. Not necessary for LC though. just LE.

And no, no saturnid moths. But I'd love to get some.


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## agent A (May 7, 2012)

Ryan Minard said:


> If you guys wanna keep lucanus adults... I suggest you do this:
> 
> Put in 1 inch of ground up substrate made of decayed oak or another hardwood (and make sure it is cleaned either by cooking, boiling, or freezing). THEN insert a log that is a good 4 inches long or MORE... make sure it's 2-5 inches wide. AND make sure it's hardwood, preferably oak. After you do this fill the cage with a few more inches of substrate... at least cover 3/4 of the log you put in but REALLY the best idea is to bury it with an inch of substrate over the top of the log even. Then feed them banana. TADA!!! This is for females to lay eggs btw... the submerged log.
> 
> ...


can i use sweet birch or maple logs? we have tons of that here?

i think my problem is my substrate dried up  

i should have luna and cecropia moth eggs soon and POSSIBLY automeris io, i'd be willing to trade eggs of both for maybe 6 capreolus larvae and 4 elephus larvae  

and when u say clay, do u mean modeling clay?


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## hibiscusmile (May 7, 2012)

I always have a hard time deciding what is decayed wood, I end up with nothing. how to tell?


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## minard734 (May 8, 2012)

Agent A: birch sounds good. I've found them in birch... And look in your inbox man  

Rebecca: Anything that you find on the Forrest floor that isn't 100% solid to the touch.


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## minard734 (May 8, 2012)

Oh... And agent, I mean red clay.


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## Mantiskid (May 8, 2012)

Awesome! Maybe one day you could send me some stag beetles???? I've always wanted some  .


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## minard734 (May 8, 2012)

Mantiskid said:


> Awesome! Maybe one day you could send me some stag beetles???? I've always wanted some  .


Of course man. I will need to sell them or trade though. Probably sell as my hands are full with beetles and my mantid keeping is limited. I could sell them at discount though  .


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## GreenOasis (May 9, 2012)

That's a really awesome setup, man! I particularly like the pinned insect displays. Do you ever make them to sell?


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## minard734 (May 9, 2012)

Not yet but I'd love to


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## zack4211 (May 12, 2012)

loving the setup looks great!  &amp; love the beetles


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