keeping Scaphinotus

[bathcat]

Does anyone have any experience keeping Scaphinotus alive? I figure I would use some soil from where I collected them as substrate, and huckleberries as food (which I've read they will readily eat while kept in captivity). A small dish with wet moss should provide enough water, right?

I'll be keeping them as temporary pets for my son, then releasing them back where I found them in a few months.

My main question is how to keep mold down. I understand there is a type of commercially available substrate that has a natural component that discourages mold, but I don't remember what it is off the top of my head.

[politula]

I have limited experience that will probably not help... I had a Scaphinotus elevatus that I kept for about 6 months, until my girlfriend forgot to add water while I was away collecting.

I had a container with a layer of top soil. I covered it with a cushion of sphagnum moss. I added water to keep it damp. Here's the weird part, I never had to feed him. By coincidence some small diptera bred in the damp soil and the Scaph lived on these, (I assume). Never had a problem with mold.

You may want to try small amounts of dry cat food soaked in water as a food/water source. I kept an Amblycheila alive with this once.

Are you keeping S. angusticollis?

[doros]

Politula,

I see from a previous post you have written an unpublished manuscript concerning the collection of Scaphinotus, which you offered to share with another forum member. Would you be so kind as to send a copy of this to me also.? I live in western NC, where it seems you do some of your collecting from time to time, so I'd love to get some tips from you.

Thanks,

Doros

[politula]

You can reach me at [e-mail]