What the heck is this???

[Veild Cham Owner]

So I just came back from getting my chams weekly full of crickets and this thing showed up in the bunch and I have absolutely no idea what it is!! Any ideas?

 

[KLowery88]

Looks like a dermestid larvae. They're usually used as clean up crews to eat any leftover food, dead crickets, etc. It probably got accidentally scooped up in your order.

 

[Veild Cham Owner]

Looks like a dermestid larvae. They're usually used as clean up crews to eat any leftover food, dead crickets, etc. It probably got accidentally scooped up in your order.

are they ok? should i keep it in there?

 

[Twitchet]

Yes, as above, Dermestid larva, here in the U.k I think the livefood companies actually add them on purpose to clean up any dead crickets etc so I think they aren't of any harm, they do a good job too, we can even buy them to add to our own cultures. Do you also call them woolly bears in the US or is that another type of insect?

 

[Virgil1972]

That also what they use to clean animal bones for museums and mounts.

 

[Twitchet]

Very true! I was a taxidermist for 15 years and I learnt mainly from American books, these beetle larvae are great at cleaning up but a horror if they are on things you don't want to be eaten like your prized taxidermy exhibits LOL .

 

[Virgil1972]

Very true! I was a taxidermist for 15 years and I learnt mainly from American books, these beetle larvae are great at cleaning up but a horror if they are on things you don't want to be eaten like your prized taxidermy exhibits LOL .

I have a bear skull that was cleaned with beetles and it looks very nice.

 

[ispeedonthe405]

You can buy more of them to keep your bug bins cleaner. I know it seems like putting a fire out with more fire, but it works. You'll often find them listed as "cleaner crew", as mentioned above.

 

[Virgil1972]

You can buy more of them to keep your bug bins cleaner. I know it seems like putting a fire out with more fire, but it works. You'll often find them listed as "cleaner crew", as mentioned above.

You can buy them from taxidermy sites as well.