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Live foods: Confused Flour Beetle (Tribolium confusum)

Confused Flour Beetle (Tribolium confusum): The larvae of these small beetles are an ideal variation in the diet of many small species such as Dendrobates and Mantellas, looking similar to mealworms but only attaining 4mm. The adult beetles are foul tasting so don't make good eating.

Culturing:

1: First you will need a medium sized plastic pot with a tight fitting lid such as a margarine tub or Tupperware.

2: Fill the tub to about 1/3 with a mixture of sifted flour and dried bakers yeast.

3: Cover the substrate with a sheet of paper towel to form a feeding platform, and add a few scrunched up pieces to provide your beetles with a place to hide.

4: Place a small amount of carrot on top of the paper towel as a source of moisture. When this carrot dries out replace with fresh.

6: Seed the container with a number of adult beetles from your starter culture and close the lid firmly.

10: To use your culture simply sift a spoon full of the flour mixture with a fine sieve to remove the larvae. Care must be taken not to breath in the dust as this may lead to the development of allergies.

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