Creature Kit
Brilliant Beetle
If you have already purchased a Butterfly Skye's Creature Kit and would like to use your mail order code to order a Brlliant Beetle please click here now!
Did you know that beetles undergo complete metamorphosis just like butterflies do? Witness the incredible transformation of a brilliant beetle grub into a fantastic adult beetle. Beetle grubs are safe for children to handle under supervision and very easy to take care of. The beetle life cycle is normally completed within 6 weeks and are suitable for child care centres and primary schools
Information about Beetles
Beetles are from the insect order Coleoptera. There are more than 300 000 named species of Coleoptera in the world. About 40% of all insects and 30% of all animals are beetles; the number of beetle species is more than 6 times that of vertebrates. There have been about 20 000 species described from Australia, but several thousand more are known in collections and the true number may exceed 30 000.
Beetle Life Cycle
Beetles undergo complete metamorphosis just like butterflies do and have 4 distinct life stages. All beetles start off as an egg from which a beetle larva will emerge. The larvae will eat a variety of things depending on the species of beetle but this can include grains, fruit and rotting wood. The beetle larvae will grow and will eventually form a pupa. The pupae form of the beetle will normally last 2-4 weeks, during this time the pupae does not eat anything and remains relatively still. The adult beetle will then emerge and will look pail or white in colour. The exoskeleton of the newly emerged beetle will be soft and will need time to harden. Once the exoskeleton has hardened, the beetle will have all of its colouring and will not grow and bigger.
Taking Care of Your Brilliant Beetle
You will be supplied with 10-20 beetle larvae in a special substrate which they will live in. Your beetles will come with food and you will need to feed them every 2-3 days as well as feed them some fresh cut apple once per week.
If you have never watched an insect life cycle before this is a great one to start with. They are very easy to take care of and are extremely interesting.