Breeding Update on Leptinopterus burmeisteri

Leptinopterus burmeisteri is a small and fascinating species of stag beetles, in addition to being from South America, and behaving like a Cetonid, I think they are a priority species for me to maintain in my continuous breeding.

After my last post on these, I have now the next generation of eggs, and have a few additions to their breeding. Number one, white rotted wood, as sawdust is more than sufficient as a substrate for them, all male pupa were major males, no minor ones in sight. They seem to be very efficient in taking the maximum amount of nutrition out of a very poor substrate that allows only achieving minor males of other species. Larvae are somewhat sensitive to handling, I noticed quite a few seem to have died of shock, when handling them to put in their own separate breeding containers. This is not necessary though, as they actually do really well together in a breeding box. There is not even disturbance when they pupate, and I had no losses in this method of keeping them together.

A male of the next generation of Leptinopterus burmeisteri

Now, the cocoon phase is the only one I found slightly exasperating. The larvae stay in the pre-pupae stage for 3-4 months, and pupa stage takes several weeks in addition. This makes them relatively sensitive to handling and being checked. As you have to open the cocoon to check what is going on inside, disturbed larvae will abandon and only sometimes build another one. So, whatever you do, leave them alone and undisturbed once they build their cocoons.

Leptinopterus burmeisteri breeding setup

I lost almost all my males, except for the very last one, (I am more than lucky), which is now doing a weekly rotation between three egg laying containers with females in them. There is mating and eating and digging, and I suppose the egg laying has started as well.
This concludes the breeding report for Leptinopterus burmeisteri. If you get them, like with any new species, try to keep the whole first generation for yourself, if things go wrong, they normally do it in a big style. For a successful continuous breeding program, it is necessary to have more than just a few larvae. I lost 16 males in pupa; several females had died already when the males hatched, so it is better err on the side of too many larvae of one species. These are small, and take neither much space, nor much food, so it is not impossible. Good luck with yours!

Leptinopterus burmeisteri female