3. KEEPING THE IMAGOS
Dynastes hercules septentrionalis, male
After Hatching of the imagos, it takes some time for them to mate. As sometimes males are very aggressive and even attack the females, I would suggest keeping them separated for some time (1 to 6 weeks, whatever, depending on the case) If mating should not work out after that time, you could try a hand pairing: You place the female on your hand and put the male above. After a short time, interest should arise in the male. As their Tarsi are quite sharp, you can take a piece of wood instead of your hand. ( To avoid your hands looking like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, hehe)
Soon after mating, females will start egg laying. Therefore they need a substrate consisting of leaves and wood, take the mixture as mentioned in 1. and try to get a fine consistence, so the eggs can better develop. The substrate height should be about at least 30 to 40 cm. It seems that females prefer the most deep place for laying their eggs. They show a big like for compressed substrate, so try your best and press it as hard as you can when filling the breeding container... The females will take their part as well and even compress it more..
Females are laying eggs in intervals, that means they are feeding two weeks and not digging in, but after that they dig in and are laying up to twenty eggs in one day (reported by R. WANNINGER). If a new mating is necessary after laying eggs, I don't know. The females are making kind of a cocoon for the egg, build of compressed substrate. Better do not try to open these cocoons, because eggs that are taken out of their chamber tend to develop worse, hatching rate is about 30 percent (reported by H. SNUVERINK)
Before I forget, Dynastes does not need light for feeling well and egg laying (Different from Cetonidae)
After the first batch of eggs is laid, again you have to wait. Time after time you can change the egg laying containers, to avoid destroyed eggs, cause by digging female, but that is all you can do at the moment. After at least one month, I think you can dare digging carefully and search for larvae. But it is better to wait a little longer.
Adult beetles have a lifespan of about half a year and should be fed properly during that period. As for other beetles banana is the food source number one for Dynastes, but babies food (fruit conserves), jam, jelly, peaches, apples, mangoes, papaws, etc are taken well, too. Sugar cane is also take very well and the males stay days on the pieces of cane trying to suck out all the juice.
After hatching, separate the larvae again. the whole life cycle from egg to Imago is between one and a half to two and half years...
5. List of Subspecies and their differences
6. Weight Scales and Conclusion
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