Rhino Flower Beetle (Phaedimus howdeni)

They originate from Phillipines. For the first few weeks each pair was in a 15 Oz cups. and now in 32 Oz cups with double the depth of soil. They have to have some sticks on top of the substrate, as they are very clumsy and cant seem to be able to flip back up even though they have long hind legs. After observing for 3 weeks, I found that one of the females have made a burrow. It was not just a burrow, but almost like an Iglu, rising from the ground. This was quite an amazing thing to see, as none of my other beetles have made anything like that. The 2 pairs are WC and so far have produced 7 eggs all together, 3 1/2 weeks from the mating point. Both males have died one week after mating.

Females: get 20- 21mm long.

Males: get 21mm long.

Status: Bouth of my two pairs have mated, the second i have put them together :)!

Diet: Larva; (Oak, Chestnut and Birch?). Beetles; Apples, Bananas, etc. especially soft sugary foods.

Eggs (just over 1mm long).

Female.

Purple phase female.

Male.

The angle is not so great, but this is the Iglu I was talking about. It rises about 30mm from the mane surface of the soil.