Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Antsat the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
Hercules Beetle Breeding
Deforestation and development pose the biggest threats to the Central and South American forests that are home to Hercules beetles. Fortunately, these beetles are not endangered. But they are fascinating and have the potential to teach both National Zoo keepers and visitors a lot about insects, and how they grow and develop.
Beetle Needs
Keepers here are breeding Hercules beetles, devoting their time and attention to ensure that the tanks in which the beetles and larvae live are well maintained. The substrate (a mix of rotten wood and compost) in which the larvae live and eat must constantly be replaced. Mold, fungus, and mites can also accumulate in beetle tanks and cause death or interfere with larval growth. Keepers are gaining important husbandry experience as they determine the proper substrate that allows these insects to thrive.
One reason the breeding program will be limited is the necessary separation of the beetles throughout their development. Larvae can live together in one tank until the final larval stage, when each must have its own tank. Female adults can live together, but there can be no more than one adult male to a tank.
A Change of Heart
While the Zoo's researchers have not set a goal of a certain number of Hercules beetles they would like to produce, they do hope a lot of people will see them. For those who think insects are gross and would be happy to see them disappear, an encounter with a Hercules beetle may change their mind.
These insects are impressive. Males can be half a foot long and, relative to their body size, they are the world's strongest animal—some can lift as much as 850 times their own weight. But they also provide an important service and ask nothing return. They are decomposers. Throughout their lives they consume dead plant matter, making new life—and new food for other animals—possible.
Making History
Because Hercules beetle breeding is still fairly new, the Zoo is one of just a few zoos in the United States that have such a program. The Zoo first acquired four larvae in December 2005, then obtained 25 more in August 2006. In summer 2007, several adults emerged from the larvae and went on display at the Zoo’s Invertebrate Exhibit.
