# Flour Beetles?



## Candy (Oct 17, 2006)

I seen on a site once where they sold flour beetles as feeders. I'm not quite sure their size but how would they be for feeders does anyone know? Would nymphs be able to eat them? Thanks in advance for any help and insight!

-Candy-


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## yen_saw (Oct 17, 2006)

Wouldn't recommend beetles of any type for mantis really. flour beetles are very small with hard exoskeleton (sp!) so feeding fruit flies to small nymphs is more suitable.


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## AFK (Oct 23, 2006)

flour beetles might be a nice mixup in the variety though...and do you think their extra extra chitinous exoskeleton might provide extra fiber?


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## infinity (Oct 23, 2006)

I actually have been trying these - I have two species of beetles as feeders- one about 1-2mm long and the other about 3-4mm long. They are NOT popular with hatchlings - I've been trying to feed the larger kind to some grandis - I'll keep you posted


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## Slan (Oct 23, 2006)

none of my scorplings, spiderlings or mantids will eat the beetles. dont know why.. thats my experience of flour/meal beetles.

they dont eat zophobas beetles either...


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## infinity (Oct 25, 2006)

Yeah, in a way I think mantids are lazy... if you offer one a beetle that has been crushed, they're fine! - I've fed adults ground beetles before which are over an inch long as adults and they love them (enjoy the crunchiness :wink: ) but the nymphs attack very feebly and if it falls out of their fore-arms, it hurts their ego and they don't go after them again. - I haven't had any young of any species of mine that attack adult beetles


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