What the heck is this?!

[Bruce]

I just found this in my pacman frog's substrate and I have no clue what this could be! I only feed her nightcrawlers, super worms, dubias, and the occasional frozen/thawed mouse... Would anyone know what this is??




It almost looks like a dubia molt that failed, but it really doesn't even look like a dubia.. But seriously, it's freaky looking, it's creeping me out, and yes it is alive...

[Sunshine]

It looks like a darkling beetle (mealworm) pupae.

[Mentat]

It looks like a darkling beetle (mealworm) pupae.

Agree!

[GrifTheGreat]

Yep Darkling grub.

[GrifTheGreat]

This is why you remove the food items that haven't been eaten. The temps/humidity in the frogs enclosure not to mention the conditions of the substrate are perfect insect and worm breeding grounds. Last night I found a night crawler that somehow managed to escape Grif and was living in her hole with her Lol! When I went to pull it out of there Grif grabbed it and ate it as to say (HEY! I WAS SAVING THAT FOR LATER!) Lol!

[Bruce]

That's weird, I never feed mealworms or any type of beetle... Maybe one somehow got in when I was changing its substrate? I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something harmful infesting my substrate!

[ViperJr]

You said you are feeding superworms, didn't you? There is your answer

[GrifTheGreat]

Well I figured out how the night crawler escaped Grif. As I was giving her one tonight a farely large one I might add she grabbed it and when she made her second chomp she cut it right in half. So I assume that it was half a night crawler I found in her hole with her. Just one more reason you wouldn't want to be bitten Lol!

[Bruce]

Ahh... I see so what are superworms just larval forms of those beetles? I'm sorry I've just never seen/heard of this before..

[ViperJr]

Yes, both mealworms and superworms are the larvae of two kinds of darkling beatles. Like people said, that's most like a pupated superworm, trying to become a beatle.

[Bruce]

All I see, that's interesting.. Guess my Pac missed a one :P

Btw viper.. I was told you would know o some safe plants to put in my pacman frog's terrarium?

[LazyEyedFroggie]

100% agree with all of the above comments It's a superworm transforming to Darkling beetle. Although, I found something similar to that in with my crickets from the pet store, exept it's blckish brown and has a bit of fuzz.....?

[ViperJr]

Btw viper.. I was told you would know o some safe plants to put in my pacman frog's terrarium?

Wow, didn't expect that... Seems like I've managed to get somewhat of a reputation here

I'm really a tree frog guy, but I guess I can share my opinion about plants in a pacman terrarium.
First of all, since they don't really use the plants like tree frogs, almost any plant will do. The important thing to consider when dealing with burying species is the soil, or rather the things that the soil might contain. What you want to do is rinse the plants thoroughly and remove the soil that comes with it and replant them (with fertilizer and pesticide-free soil, like Exo-terra's Plantation soil of Zoo med's Eco Earth), either in a new pot that you put in the tank (you could just burrow the pot if you don't want it to be visible) or directly in the substrate. I would personally plant them in a new pot, and then burrow the pot. Otherwise, the frog might uproot the plant, and it'll be easier to maintain it. Also, make sure that the frog do not accidentally eat some of the leaves (by letting feeders roam freely), since many of the common terrarium plants are indeed dangerous if digested.
Like I said earlier, most plant will do, so you'll have to do some searching in the local plant-stores to see if you find something. But from the top of my head, I would consider some ferns and perhaps a snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata). Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) could be nice as well, since you can make it grow anywhere you want, for example along the substrate.

Hope this helps!

[GrifTheGreat]

Make sure the plants don't secrete toxins if they're damaged. Some plants release toxins into the soil even if they aren't damaged. You have to be careful what you choose. As Martin has said most will do.

[ViperJr]

Make sure the plants don't secrete toxins if they're damaged. Some plants release toxins into the soil even if they aren't damaged. You have to be careful what you choose. As Martin has said most will do.

A lot of plant secrete toxins when damage, that's how poisonous plants out there delivers their toxin. However, I personally feel that this is seldom a problem, especially when dealing with an totally terrestrial, inactive pacman.
That being said, caution is of course always a good thing!

[pac]

superworm pupae

[Frog Mom]

Robin--I have gotten those in with my crickets a few times, also. I wondered what they were, but have no clue.

[LazyEyedFroggie]

Thank-you, Frog Mom I just hoped they were safe and that the pet store didn't make an error....

[HornedFairy]

yey, I found loads of these recently in my worms pot when i was picking out the dead skins. They are the metamorphis stage from worm to bug (like a caterpillar does to a butterfly) I put my larve/pulps/grubs all together in a seperate tub with soft sawdust and oats. I'm interested to see if I can sucessfully raise them into beetles!

Admitetly they are very creepy things! They are completely inactive until you use a tweezer to pick them up, then they twitch like mad! Also, check out the pulps face... the Alien films spring to mind! lol!!

[mafoo]

when putting moss in my firebelly toads tank i found that in there inside the package. im pretty sure its a superworm larvae thing and it wasnt from a food item left in there, as i found one right inside the packaging! im pretty sure its safe but just take it out and look inside the substrate before u put it in so that u dont have one left in there and one that could possibly be alive.