What ARE these things???

The Wild One

Chameleon Enthusiast
So I was updating my roach enclosure and I saw these things crawling around.... are they babies?
241995

There is like 20 of them!!
 
Those are lesser Mealworms. Commonly used as CUCs and can become Litter Beetles. Though I think pupation is like that of Supers, they need to be kept seperated without food to pupate.

Buffalo Beetles larvae looks like a fuzzy caterpillar.
 
You were right, those dark ones look a lot like buffalo beetles. Often mixed with lesser mealworm beetles as CuC. The fuzzy ones are dermestids, which I do not see here.

Oops your right, I thought they called the Dermestidae Buffalo Beetles, but Buffalo Beetles are Litter Beetles. My bad.

Either way, we were both right, they are lesser Mealworms, and lesser Mealworms become Buffalo/Litter Beetles.

My apologies Goodkarma.

I am perplexed why the feeder industry calls them Buffalo's now. They already have a non Scientific name, and no where but the feeder industry do you see them called "Buffalo Beetles" they are Litter Beetles, Alphitobius diaperinus, and are a very common pest in the worldwide.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphitobius_diaperinus

Edit: and this is how confusion starts.

"Enter the cleanup crew! Our cleanup crew consists of Alphitobius diaperinus, commonly known as the "buffalo beetle" (not to be confused with the pesky carpet beetle, sometimes called the "buffalo moth") or the "lesser mealworm" since both the larva and the beetle resemble small mealworms and mealworm (darkling) beetles. Note that some sources sell what they call "buffalo beetles" that are actually Tenebrio Obscurus. These beetles are related to the Alphitobius diaperinus beetles that we sell in that they're from the same family in the classification tree, but are from a different genus and species."

https://dubiaroaches.com/pages/dubia-roach-cleaner-crews

Alphitobius diaperinus are not "Commonly Referred to as Buffalo Beetles", they are Litter Beetles.

Tenebrio obscurus are likely the real "Buffalo Beetle".

Moral of the story, don't buy anything from anyone that calls them Buffalo Beetles lol. Because that just means they don't know what the hell they are selling :p.
 
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does anyone have a picture or size reference for the mature adults?

Mature adults of which one?

They are both being referred to as Buffalo Beetles, both of their Larvae are called Lesser Mealworms.

This is a damn mess lol.

This is a Tenebrio obscurus
Tenebrio_obscurus.jpg


This is a Alphitobius diaperinus
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I think the Tenebrio are larger, at least longer and skinnier, vs shorter and fatter. Both are Darkling Family. And half the Reptile feeder sites, sell Tenebrio as Buffalo's, and the other half sell Alphitobius as Buffalo's.

Tenebrio don't have a common name that I can find, so I guess those could be the true Buffalo, however Alphitobius diaperinus are Litter Beetles, and have been for 100s of years in the entire world, as they are pretty non discriminate about being everywhere.
 
Let me clarify I'm having an infestation of beetles in a roach colony they are black 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch long and have larva similar to the picture the OP posted. I summed they were CUC but think they might be eating the roach eggs as production has dropped off.
 
Let me clarify I'm having an infestation of beetles in a roach colony they are black 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch long and have larva similar to the picture the OP posted. I summed they were CUC but think they might be eating the roach eggs as production has dropped off.

AFAIK most roaches, at least the ones we keep, hold the egg case inside and give live birth. So I dont think they are eating the eggs, competing for food and causing stress, they could be very much so doing however. If food is tight and the females feel overcrowded or stressed, they will not breed and may abandon eggs they had.
 
Let me clarify I'm having an infestation of beetles in a roach colony they are black 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch long and have larva similar to the picture the OP posted. I summed they were CUC but think they might be eating the roach eggs as production has dropped off.

Is it a red runner colony? I know exactly what you're talking about. The common mix of cleaner beetles you get from people like nick barta are good for dry set ups where their numbers stay in check, but when moisture is involved(like with red runners which they need for laying their ooths ), the beetles and larvae blow up out of control and eat anything around. I have witnessed them relentlessly assault roaches by the hundreds. Molted roaches are especially vulnerable. Ooths, forget it, they will surely eat them up. I wouldn't even trust isopods with them.
 
Thank you for the correction. I should have said eating the young. These are red runners and other than being over run with little beetles and larvae they seem fine.
Is it a red runner colony? I know exactly what you're talking about. The common mix of cleaner beetles you get from people like nick barta are good for dry set ups where their numbers stay in check, but when moisture is involved(like with red runners which they need for laying their ooths ), the beetles and larvae blow up out of control and eat anything around. I have witnessed them relentlessly assault roaches by the hundreds. Molted roaches are especially vulnerable. Ooths, forget it, they will surely eat them up. I wouldn't even trust isopods with them.
Yes that must be the problem looks like I'm going to have to overhaul the colony.
 
@cyberlocc off topic cyber, but sorry I been MIA on those roaches. Life has been overwhelming for the moment with everything going on... So I decided to take a break from everything for a little while until we finish moving and get on more of a schedule with our infant. Hoping to start back up by late aug/sept and keep it going smoothly from there.
 
Thank you for the correction. I should have said eating the young. These are red runners and other than being over run with little beetles and larvae they seem fine.

Yes that must be the problem looks like I'm going to have to overhaul the colony.

Ya I would pull the runners out and Cull those stupid beetles. I dont know why they add them to roaches, they can be helpful, they can also become a serious problem.

I think RRs do lay eggs, actually as james implied they do, and so does people on google. I stay far and away from them, as they can infest badly here, I want no part of it. They along with American Cockroaches infest large areas of Arizona, my dealings with them have been wilds, infesting my homes growing up. They are the devil incarnate to me.


@cyberlocc off topic cyber, but sorry I been MIA on those roaches. Life has been overwhelming for the moment with everything going on... So I decided to take a break from everything for a little while until we finish moving and get on more of a schedule with our infant. Hoping to start back up by late aug/sept and keep it going smoothly from there.

Not a Problem I am in no hurry :),
 
Thank you for the correction. I should have said eating the young. These are red runners and other than being over run with little beetles and larvae they seem fine.

Yes that must be the problem looks like I'm going to have to overhaul the colony.

A good way to remove a lot of them is getting a little plastic dish, like a baby food container. Put food in it and bury to soil level. The beetles and larvae will swarm it and get stuck inside.
 
Ya I would pull the runners out and Cull those stupid beetles. I dont know why they add them to roaches, they can be helpful, they can also become a serious problem.

I think RRs do lay eggs, actually as james implied they do, and so does people on google. I stay far and away from them, as they can infest badly here, I want no part of it. They along with American Cockroaches infest large areas of Arizona, my dealings with them have been wilds, infesting my homes growing up. They are the devil incarnate to me.




Not a Problem I am in no hurry :),

Yeah red runners lay them near water sources and generally like the moisture/humidity. The ooths need the moisture to keep from drying out.

I was afraid to keep them as well, but I have a shed now. They can't climb or fly(except for the adult males) though so it's not too hard keeping them under control. Lobsters are probably the biggest risks of the feeder species.
 
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