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Thread: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

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UncleChester ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing... November 19th, 2009, 02:01 PM
SludgeMunkey Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly... November 19th, 2009, 02:09 PM
Guest Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly... November 19th, 2009, 02:43 PM
UncleChester Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly... November 19th, 2009, 03:11 PM
1beataway Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly... November 19th, 2009, 11:50 PM
SludgeMunkey Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly... November 20th, 2009, 06:50 AM
Guest Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly... November 23rd, 2009, 02:17 PM
Guest Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly... November 23rd, 2009, 06:03 PM
Tom Highum Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly... November 23rd, 2009, 11:16 PM
Guest Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly... November 24th, 2009, 01:26 PM
UncleChester Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly... November 24th, 2009, 01:29 PM
Guest Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly... November 24th, 2009, 01:49 PM
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  1. #1

    Default ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    Hello. A few of these critters (see attached photos) came with my crickets. This was the largest one I could locate, and is about 12-13mm long. It can climb plastic, but not shiny packing tape. It is also quite fast (I cruelly chilled it for the pictures). The cricket breeding facility is in southern Ontario if it helps ID. I was wondering:

    What is it?
    Can I feed it to Gray Tree Frogs?
    If so, can it be cultured easily?
    Can I leave them in with the crickets?
    Does it turn into anything?

    If I knew what it was, I could probably sort out the rest, but I don't know insects very well. Thanks in advance for any assistance!
    Attached Images Attached Images   

  2. #2
    Contributor SludgeMunkey's Avatar
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    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    That is a beetle larvae of some sort. I would be cautious of that cricket supplier as the presence of these is usually a sign of poor sanitation at the cricket farm. I happen to know an entomologist, so with your permission I will forward the pictures to him for a positive ID if you like.
    Watching FrogTV because it is better when someone else has to maintain the enclosure!

  3. #3
    snoopfroggyfrog
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    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    oh dear i found something very similar in with a tub of crickets i bought not 100% but it was a brown larvae with legs very much like your picture.......
    Im glad i read this post ill watch out for that in the future......

  4. #4

    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    Quote Originally Posted by SludgeMunkey View Post
    That is a beetle larvae of some sort. I would be cautious of that cricket supplier as the presence of these is usually a sign of poor sanitation at the cricket farm.
    I didn't count the larvae at the time, but it looks like there are ~20 wriggling around with my crickets (they were an order of 500, 1/4" crickets).

    Maybe a third of the crickets were DOA, but they gave plenty extra and I was sure there were over 500 alive. They were packaged and delivered to the pet store by the supplier and picked up by me in the same day. Is this sort of casualty rate excessive? I'm new to this, so wasn't sure what to expect. Ideally, I'll be able to get them breeding, so I won't need to rely on any supplier.

    Quote Originally Posted by SludgeMunkey View Post
    I happen to know an entomologist, so with your permission I will forward the pictures to him for a positive ID if you like.
    That would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

  5. #5

    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    That sounds excessive to me. I've never ordered crickets though. But at the store I work at, when we get crickets 10% or less are DOA. Sometimes it'll end up being closer to 5% or less.

  6. #6
    Contributor SludgeMunkey's Avatar
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    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    If my cricket suppliers delivered with that high of a mortality rate coupled with the beetle larvae, I would find a new supplier. Even in this cold time of the year, I never have more than about 5 DOA out of 1000 crickets per box- if any.
    Watching FrogTV because it is better when someone else has to maintain the enclosure!

  7. #7
    100+ Post Member Tom Highum's Avatar
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    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    Johnny have you figured out what it is?

  8. #8
    PhiliusPhrog
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    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    Hi UncleChester. Those little critters are Hide Beetle larvae. I'm in the UK and we get 'em here too! I wondered what they were as well and looked into it. The beetles themselves thrive in abattoirs and enjoy the carcasses, hence the name "Hide". I can only imagine that they occur at some point in the crix breeding process and get dumped in along with the crix. Either that or they are added purposefully to consume any dead matter. I have fed them to my Whites tree frogs and so far so good. But I did hear that they may be able to eat their way out!! So promptly stopped. Hope this helps.

  9. #9
    Kurt
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    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    Quote Originally Posted by PhiliusPhrog View Post
    I have fed them to my Whites tree frogs and so far so good. But I did hear that they may be able to eat their way out!! So promptly stopped. Hope this helps.

    That is impossible. As soon as the beetle makes it way to the stomach, the frog's stomach acids start to break it down. That alone should kill it. Secondly, once inside the frog how is the beetle going to be able to breath? I find most insects drown very easily and the inside of a frog is very wet.

    Insects do not breath like you and I. Most, if not all, of them absorb oxygen through numerous spiracles in their exoskeletons. Each spiracle goes directly to a certain organ and provides that organ with oxygen. So when the pores of the spiracles are covered by water or another substance, the insect is unable to breath and dies. An insect can drown easily even it's only partially submerged. If the spiracles that serve vital organs are covered, they will not be able to receive oxygen and will die.

  10. #10
    100+ Post Member Tom Highum's Avatar
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    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    Whoa that is interesting. Thanks kurt

  11. #11
    Kurt
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    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    You're welcome. Its amazing what one can learn when one reads a book (or two)

  12. #12

    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    Quote Originally Posted by Kurt View Post
    You're welcome. Its amazing what one can learn when one reads a book (or two)
    What two books did you read to become so knowledgeable in everything?

  13. #13

    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    A big thanks to all who responded (and Johnny's entomologist friend). Given that these larvae could potentially eat the crickets, I'll be removing these from my cricket home. I don't think I'll be feeding them to the frogs though. I was a little concerned about the hairs, and Kurt seconded this concern, so I may as well play it safe.

    I went to the reptile show in Mississauga this weekend and picked up some mealworms for a little more variety for the frogs and some waxworms for occasional treats (I'll try feeding them waxmoths as well). I've also found another cricket supplier to try in case my breeding setup doesn't work out.

    Thanks again!
    .

  14. #14
    Kurt
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    Default Re: ID help: Brown Wriggly Thing in with Crickets

    You're welcome

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