Anyone with experience breeding black crickets? Gryllus bimaculatus?

[Connorology]

I’ve caught and observed wild camel crickets, but never tried to breed them. Would be an interesting species to try. I’ve never seen them in Cali, but I used to find them on occasion in Michigan. Usually in dark damp places. I’m not sure if they breed year round in the Midwest.

I used to see them up at a friend's cabin in the Sierra Nevadas all the time, though they have since sold that place. I may keep an eye out if I'm anywhere nearby this spring/summer.

So for those of you that don’t like bandeds, where do you get the house crickets, any healthy sources still? Even with optimal conditions I could never justify how fast they would die. It was cheaper to order large amounts from ghanns to feed my panthers and parsons than to get the house crickets due to the survivability. I could leave bandeds in a tub for a month and none would die. Almost Every single day the others would have some die off.

I just begrudgingly use banded crickets because I can buy them locally. Spicoli (my panther) is six and probably doesn't have a lot of time left - his uric acid levels were very high the last time I did bloodwork on him so I can't really feed him roaches anymore. Long term I think I am going to try and set up a colony of the S. nitens to decrease the percentage of roaches I am feeding, but near term I am stuck with the bandeds as the main non-roach feeder available locally.

 

[SauceGandhi]

By the way, the population of greater anglewing katydids (Microcentrum rhombifolium) in Florida don't diapause, so any Floridians here hook a brother up please

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

By the way, the population of greater anglewing katydids (Microcentrum rhombifolium) in Florida don't diapause, so any Floridians here hook a brother up please

I will keep an eye out.

You should try to breed the various pink katydids

 

[SauceGandhi]

I will keep an eye out.

You should try to breed the various pink katydids

I caught some in TX but they were insanely loud and kinda bitey

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Ok hear me out, pink bugs will sell as pets.

I've seen florescent pink katydids as well, those will sell for pets, im willing to wager.

You can't deny it.

 

[scags]

Ok hear me out, pink bugs will sell as pets.

I've seen florescent pink katydids as well, those will sell for pets, im willing to wager.

You can't deny it.

Man, I’m an avid bug hunter, probably caught hundreds, if not thousands of katydids over the years, several species, and have never ran into the pink color form. I know one guy who personally caught one in his own yard and that’s it.

I used to go out at night in late summer early autumn in Michigan and could catch hundreds of them- along with various other orthoptera- differentials, cone heads, etc.

I’m planning a trip to Florida in February (for a wedding) , and then again in June or July (for vacation) . I’m going to see what I can find and responsibly collect. Going to hunt for Jamaican crickets specifically and possibly katydids.
I always do some collecting in Florida. I also do some herping while I’m there, have successfully found panther chameleons and veileds. I’ve struck out at the Oustalet’s spot. Pretty sure they have been extirpated.
My goal next time is to find Anolis allisoni, and Anolis garmani.

 

[Connorology]

By the way, the population of greater anglewing katydids (Microcentrum rhombifolium) in Florida don't diapause, so any Floridians here hook a brother up please

Are those the ones legal to ship cross country now? Getting a legal non-diapausing katydid species going could be a big deal

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Man, I’m an avid bug hunter, probably caught hundreds, if not thousands of katydids over the years, several species, and have never ran into the pink color form. I know one guy who personally caught one in his own yard and that’s it.

I used to go out at night in late summer early autumn in Michigan and could catch hundreds of them- along with various other orthoptera- differentials, cone heads, etc.

I’m planning a trip to Florida in February (for a wedding) , and then again in June or July (for vacation) . I’m going to see what I can find and responsibly collect. Going to hunt for Jamaican crickets specifically and possibly katydids.
I always do some collecting in Florida. I also do some herping while I’m there, have successfully found panther chameleons and veileds. I’ve struck out at the Oustalet’s spot. Pretty sure they have been extirpated.
My goal next time is to find Anolis allisoni, and Anolis garmani.

Look for Anolis chlorocyanus if you please, I would like to get 2 males and 8 females in the future.

On a random note, I've caught two pink form katydids in life, I let both go so they could carry on that trait for others to see.

 

[SauceGandhi]

Are those the ones legal to ship cross country now? Getting a legal non-diapausing katydid species going could be a big deal

Yep, the only legal katydids. The populations in the rest of the country, including the ones I have, have the most horrific diapause I've seen, so I only get 1 generation/year. I just get a couple thousand hatch all at once and then sold out in a week, then no more until next year

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

I caught some in TX but they were insanely loud and kinda bitey
View attachment 332059View attachment 332060

You need to start breeding these dude.

 

[Connorology]

Yep, the only legal katydids. The populations in the rest of the country, including the ones I have, have the most horrific diapause I've seen, so I only get 1 generation/year. I just get a couple thousand hatch all at once and then sold out in a week, then no more until next year

And the Florida pop is annual with no diapause? I thinking getting those started should be a priority, especially if you can sell a couple thousand of them in a week. Katydids are Spicoli's (my panther) favorite food, even more so than the grasshoppers. I catch a dozen or so a year and he gobbles them down.

 

[SauceGandhi]

You need to start breeding these dude.

Only had space for so many species, so they did not make the cut

And the Florida pop is annual with no diapause? I thinking getting those started should be a priority, especially if you can sell a couple thousand of them in a week. Katydids are Spicoli's (my panther) favorite food, even more so than the grasshoppers. I catch a dozen or so a year and he gobbles them down.

I have no clue how much faster the eggs hatch with no diapause. I suspect 2-3 generations/year in the wild, similar to nondiapause Schistocerca in Florida. Here are the seasonality graphs for reference, which is a really easy way to tell if a species has egg diapause; overall population vs Florida:

 

[jamest0o0]

Someone needs to get an all pink colony going. That’d be so cool.. too bad they’re incredibly rare. IDT I’ve ever seen one of the bright pink. I did see one that was a brownish/rusty.

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Only had space for so many species, so they did not make the cut

I question your methodology good sir.

Someone needs to get an all pink colony going. That’d be so cool.. too bad they’re incredibly rare. IDT I’ve ever seen one of the bright pink. I did see one that was a brownish/rusty.

See he knows whats up too.

 

[SauceGandhi]

I question your methodology good sir.

One issue was that they were all adults already and I didn't want them screeching at the postal workers. Species that made the cut to take home from this year's collecting:

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

One issue was that they were all adults already and I didn't want them screeching at the postal workers. Species that made the cut to take home from this year's collecting:

View attachment 332096View attachment 332097View attachment 332099View attachment 332100View attachment 332101View attachment 332102

Not as cool as I don't know what this is,

Or that pink katydid you found, should have collected females, they should have been mated.

Maybe next year, id buy a pair lol

 

[scags]

Look for Anolis chlorocyanus if you please, I would like to get 2 males and 8 females in the future.

On a random note, I've caught two pink form katydids in life, I let both go so they could carry on that trait for others to see.

I will look for those while down there as well. I think there is a population in parkland? Or maybe coral gables? I don’t have exact locations for many of these species. It’ll be an Indiana Jones type adventure- Piecing together clues and asking around, in order to pinpoint a precise locations.
If the populations of any of these species is robust and looking good I may take breeding pairs and ship them back to my place in California.

 

[scags]

One issue was that they were all adults already and I didn't want them screeching at the postal workers. Species that made the cut to take home from this year's collecting:

View attachment 332096View attachment 332097View attachment 332099View attachment 332100View attachment 332101View attachment 332102

Holy crap, variety! I’d love to get some of those established as breeding colonies.

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

I will look for those while down there as well. I think there is a population in parkland? Or maybe coral gables? I don’t have exact locations for many of these species. It’ll be an Indiana Jones type adventure- Piecing together clues and asking around, in order to pinpoint a precise locations.
If the populations of any of these species is robust and looking good I may take breeding pairs and ship them back to my place in California.

I have no idea, I'm just assuming the cooler stuff occurs the further south you go.

Quick Google fu says they are located in coral gables and Kolb and broward counties.
Also near the palm beach zoo and in Palm Beach county/west Palm Beach.

They also vocalize, adding to the cool factor.

If you find them take several breeding pairs

 

[SauceGandhi]

Not as cool as I don't know what this is,

Or that pink katydid you found, should have collected females, they should have been mated.

Maybe next year, id buy a pair lol

That one is Syrbula admirabilis, an egg diapause species. Too small for consideration unfortunately.

Just need to go a month earlier for the katydids to be nymphs. I caught about 20 adults, so nymphs should be even more abundant. I don't care about them enough to make that trip, but if anyone wants to, they're in central TX in April. I already have 10+ species and more stuff on the bucket list

Priority is Microcentrum rhombifolium in Florida, but looks like they're getting outcompeted hard by Stilpnochlora couloniana, which was introduced from the Caribbean islands.