Carolina locusts have all been moved out to a mesh cage at this stage. Thankfully, they appear to have no interest in chewing through the mesh...at least not yet, anyway.
They are being given dry Timothy hay as their main diet, and being fed garden weeds as a source of moisture. This species definitely enjoys the sun and will push each other out of spots to secure the ideal place to sunbath and enjoy the warmth.
No breeding or eggs noted just yet, hopefully that changes soon.
#ontarioinvertfarm #oorthoptera #carolinalocust #captivebreeding #feedergrasshopper #insectsofinstagram #feeders
Blue baboon tarantulas (Monocentropus balfourI) probably one of my favourite tarantulas in my collection at the moment, I absolutely love how communal this species is. For the longest time I'd only see one or two, but I guess moving them to a new location was enough disturbance to get them out of their shared burrow. I counted six out of eight spiders, and now they've grown I should start considering upgrading their habitat in the near future.
This is an old world species unlike any other. Dispite being a baboon tarantula this species is good natured enough I transferred all eight spiders by hand to their current enclosure without a single issue. As you can see from their close clustering they don't mind the presence of others and I have never even noted a squabble.
Looking forward to having this species breed for me and eventually having a whole tank packed with balfs!
#bluebaboontarantula #ontarioinvertfarm #invertsofinstagram #tarantulas #captivebred #balfouri #Monocentropus #communaltarantula
Wish I had recorded some video when I had nine of them, but hindsight is 20:20. This is what's left of my rosy maple moth caterpillars, which is sad because these guys are both cute as caterpillars AND absolutely adorable as moths.
Of the three I think it's wildly optimistic to hope for a pair, but with any luck I'll get at least one female and hopefully can call a wild male in. It'd be nice to keep this species going in my collection and offer it for sale, but I suppose time will tell. More to follow...
UPDATE: the trial for comparing growth rates between discoid varieties started on June 28th. I take a look at how things are going now they're past the first 1/3 period of growth.
#ontarioinvertfarm #insectsofinstagram #invertebratesofinstagram #captiverearing #discoidroaches
Our Luna moths have now all spun their cocoons and are currently pupating. Since this is the summer generation the adults should eclose in 2 to 3 weeks, mate, and produce one more generation before the fall.
#ontarioinvertfarm #insectsofinstagram #lepidoptera #captiverearing #captivebred #invertebratesofinstagram #lunamoth #actiasluna
My grapevine beetle colony is thriving and pairing regularly.
This beetle is gorgeous and grows to a decent size, although sadly it is fairly short-lived as an adult.
Easy to rear and breed in captivity, the only "demanding" part of their care is that the adults require leaves of Virginia creeper or grape for food. Thankfully these food plants grow all over Ontario and easy to propagate.
I expect to have grubs available for sale by fall.
A check in with the Luna moth caterpillars!
It is almost unbelievable how much size these caterpillars have gained in less than a month. Growing to that size, at that speed, requires a lot of food, especially towards the end.
The massive food intake is not only to support their rapid growth but also to store away energy for when they become adults. This is vital since these insects don't eat once I've reached that final stage, (they don't even have functional mouths) so gaining as much energy as possible at this point is the name of the game!
Of course, a huge food intake also means the inevitable large amount of waste and these insects produce a ton of it. As I might have mentioned previously, when rearing Lepidoptera there are two tasks the keeper is dedicated to: feeding the caterpillars and cleaning their poop. About 90% of rearing Leo's boils down to those two things. The living jewels that emerge at the end are what make it a labor of love, even if they're only with us briefly.
#ontarioinvertfarm #insectsofinstagram #lepidoptera #lunamoth #captivebred #captiverearing #insectrearing #saturniidae
Just look at the diversity of insects feeding on the nectar of these Shasta daisies! It was a nice day to watch so many species at the same patch of flowers.
#shastadaisy #pollenatorgarden #pollenpants #bees #soldierbeetle #hoverfly #ontarioinvertfarm #insectsofinstagram #invertebratesofinstagram #diptera #hymenoptera #Coleoptera #odonata
FEEDER GRASSHOPPERS
This is a brief look at one of the species of grasshopper being reared at the OIF with the goal of establishing a line of feeders. These Carolina locust are doing well, in part because (as mentioned in the video) this year the humidity has been kept as low as possible. This species is commonly encountered in Ontario, and are sometimes called "road dusters" and they prefer to inhabit hot, dry, and open areas.
Dispite the hopes expressed in the video don't think I'm able to trigger their 'migratory phase' at this level of density. However, with future generations I plan to get the density even higher and see if it can trigger some morphological change to these insects.
One of the other characteristics I'd like to see if I can select for are insects which won't require diapause before hatching. This would hopefully create a feeder which could be bred continuously, making its use as a feeder much more practical.
When kept at 30°C in the lab this grasshopper can reach adulthood in as little as 26 days and readily accepts a huge range of grasses and weeds as food. There is a lot of potential with this species and I'm looking forward to seeing where this project goes.
#Dissosteiracarolina #carolinalocust #roadduster #ontarioinvertfarm #captivebreeding #feedergrasshopper #grasshopper #livefeeders
WHY USE BEETLES?
This cottontail skull illustrates exactly why. See all that network of very fine bone structure around the nasal passage? That's what is called the fenestrated (or windowed) rostrum, quite distinct in rabbits and hares.
When one boils and picks the meat off the skull, rather than cleaning with use of insects, fine structures like that usually end up destroyed in the process. There are also very fine bones in the nose and ears which most often suffer the same fate. In addition to ruining the structure of the skull, the boiling process sees fat dissolve in the water and go into the bone. This gives the skull a yellow appearance and requires bleaching to correct.
This is why using dermestids to clean skulls and skeletons is the preferred method and why it is one employed by museums and taxidermists alike.
Want to clean your specimen like the pros? The OIF can help get you started. Visit ontarioinvertfarm.com today
A look at the silkworm broods currently being reared at the OIF; China black and pink silk. Both are growing well and have been moved to open trays. Once they gain a bit more size we will be moving them to a new, specially built home I'm excited to show off.
A NOTE ON FEEDING:
When feeding silkworms, or any caterpillars for that matter, it is important to provide fresh but dry leaves (ie if collected in rainy weather pat them dry with a towel). The caterpillars gain all needed water from the moisture content of the leaves themselves and do not need to be sprayed with additional water.
Water left on the leaves can expose caterpillars to bacteria which can ultimately lead to their demise, so not only is feeding them wet leaves unnecessary but it can also be deadly.
#ontarioinvertfarm #insectsofinstagram #silkworm #bombyxmori #invertebratesofinstagram #domesticsilkworn #northernsilk #lepidoptera
Another year for silkworms and it's nice to see a high hatch rate and fantastic growth on the varieties brought out so far. The two taken out of diapause first were 'China black' and 'pink silk', first and second photo respectively.
Moving adds another layer of complexity to the whole bug operation but since the caterpillar stage is completed in roughly a month we will still have plenty of time to bring out another variety and take advantage of the abundant mulberry that grows in the area.
More to follow as we expand our rearing and a fantastic project that was completed for us that we can't wait to share.
#silkworm #northernsilk #ontarioinvertfarm #domesticsilkworn #insectsofinstagram #inverts #silk
One of the projects the OIF is working on this year is exploring some experimental feeders to assess their potential use and ease of rearing. A prime candidate is the Pacific Dampwood Termite (Zootermopsis cf. angusticollis).
As their name indicates the species use decaying, wet wood as their food and nesting site, so even if they escape containment they pose no threat to the structural lumber of dwellings (provided there isn't water damage).
The OIF will be trialing this and other potential species for use as novel feeders, so stay tuned for updates on this and other new species we'll be working with this season.
2024 may end up being the Year of the Isopod for the OIF! We are seeing a bunch of new species come into the collection at the Farm and working on some neat projects with selective breeding and refining potential morphs.
I will be going into more detail in future posts on these projects and giving more detailed species profiles but I wanted to just give a quick overview of some of the cool species that have arrived.
More to follow soon!
#isopodsofinstagram #isopodsforsale #isopod #gestroiisopod #magicpotionisopod #armadillidium #bioactive #ontarioinvertfarm #invertebratesofinstagram #inverts #albinoisopod #orangekoiisopods
New additions to the OIF!
The first two pictures are of the Chaco Golden Knee Tarantulas (Grammostola pulchripes). These spiders are known for being super docile, extremely tough & hardy, and also for getting to huge size (legspan of females usually falls between 6.5 and 7.5 inches).
The blue slings are Antilles pinktoe tarantulas (Caribena versicolor). These beautiful spiders start life off blue in colour, and once they become adults are stunning greens and reds. An arboreal species they require good ventilation and an enclosure that is taller than it is wide. They have a reputation for being fairly docile but a tad skittish with a tendency to jump.
The final species pictured is one I've been after for quite some time; Socotra Island Blue Baboon (Monocentropus balfouri). Known as "the most communal tarantula is the hobby," these guys hail from a small island off the coast of Africa, where they evolved living in close quarters with one another. Although they haven't been observed living communally in the wild, in captivity, they have been witnessed even sharing prey between them! Don't let the "baboon" in their name give you the wrong idea - these spiders are actually quite mellow. I was able to coax each one into my hand and let them crawl into their new habitat without any issues. I plan to do really follow this group closely and show the colony development as it progresses. All eight specimens were placed together in the same plexiglass cube with lots of anchor points - the females are known to be extensive webbers so it will be neat to see how their cage looks in a few months.
While I will hold onto a few, I plan to have most of the gammas and versicolor available in the coming weeks. The balfs will be a breeding project, and their only their offspring will be made available in the future. I'm looking forward to seeing all these slings grow into fantastic tarantulas!
#ontarioinvertfarm #balfouri #tarantulas #versicolor #versicolortarantula #pinktoetarant
The OIF's colony of Banana Bay discoids. Although it is commonly believed that hybrids don't produce offspring with the same frequency or brood size as purebred discoids, this variety has been a dud so far compared with the hybrids - exactly 0 nymphs birthed to date. Hopefully, this changes in the coming months...
#discoidroaches #roachesofinstagram #insectsofinstagram #ontarioinvertfarm
Millipedes seem to love apple, though just to remind people that while produce such as apples can be given as a treat, the main food of millipedes is the substrate they're kept on. This means they need to be kept on bedding that has at least SOME nutritional value for them; flake soil or decayed wood should comprise most of their substrate. Dead leaves can be included as both food and cover for them to hide under as well.
NEVER keep your millipedes on coco fiber! It has literally no nutritional value, and due to this, the animal will continue to eat it in a fruitless attempt to sustain itself. This can lead to gut impaction as the millipede slowly starves and always results in an early death.
Both FLAKE SOIL & DECAYED WOOD are available on our website, as well as the American giant millipedes themselves. Come visit today to get yours!
#millipedes #ontarioinvertfarm #Narceus #Americangiantmillipede #inverts #nativespeciesrock #invertebratesofinstagram
A short video of one of my discoid colonies eating some chick starter, which they just go nuts for, and it vanishes in minutes. In addition, there is a short PSA below:
This species appreciates a greater level of protein in its diet than some other feeder roaches like surinam or dubia that are predominantly vegetarian. However, it is still important to make fruit, veggies, and grains the overwhelming majority of their diet.
It has been found that when roaches are fed a diet that is too high in protein that they form uric acid in their bodies. When lizards and other animals then eat the roaches, they also ingest the uric acid, which can lead to a painful condition called gout (uric acid buildup in the joints).
The levels of uric acid in your roaches and animals CAN be dropped - for the roaches, it is as simple as switching to a low protein diet. For your animals, as always, contact a vet if they appear sick or in distress. More immediately, you can try switching to non-roach feeders such as silkworms, waxworms, or other insects for a few weeks to see if your pets' condition improves.
Switching to a low protein diet for your roaches will improve the health of your colony, as well as that of the animals that depend on them for food. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
A look at one of our surinam colonies feeding on oak leaves
