Blue Death Feigning Beetles (Asbolus verrucosus)

Death Feigning Beetle Care Sheet
CEctoS Basics
Housing: These can be successfully kept in a small open
topped fish bowl in small numbers, but are also happy in
larger enclosures. Provide a hide since they do not dig
and hide themselves; they are more likely to wander
around their tank if they have a ready retreat. Death
Feigning Beetles cannot climb glass and do not bite.
Lighting: No additional lighting necessary. In the wild
they hide from the sun and have special adaptations to
protect themselves if they are unable to reach shelter
before the sun rises. The blue color is a waxy secretion
and thin “sunscreen”
Temperature: Normal to warm room temperature,
between 65-75 degrees. These beetles retreat in the day
time and do not experience the extreme high
temperatures of their natural habitat and therefore do not
need heat lamps or spot lights.
Feeding: We feed carrots for water and dog food for
nutrition. Cucumbers are a special treat.
Watering: Unnecessary. The beetles look blue because
of a waxy coating they excrete to protect them from the
sun. When the beetles get wet, this washes off and they
are black until it builds up again.
Substrate: We use pure sand. You can mix it 75% sand
25% organic soil, such as coco fiber, if you want to keep
them with a succulent plant.
Breeding: While the beetles breed with vigor, they have
never successfully produced young in captivity.