Beetles: Chlorocala Africana Camerounica

Appearance
Emerald green beetles about 1.5 to 2cm.

Lifecycle of the Sun Beetle
From egg to beetle takes about three to six months depending on temperature and the adult beetles beetle will live for about three to four months

Housing
Several pairs of adult beetles can be housed in a plastic tank of about 30cm(L) x 20(W) x 30(H) .

Substrate
Substrate is made by mixing 40% peat or coir with 60% deciduous humous/leaf litter from your local woods (avoiding areas where fertilisers and weed killers etc are used ). The resultant mix should be moist not wet and should stay as a ball when cupped tightly in two hands but should not exude water when squeezed tightly
Place substrate mix in the tank to 10cm and push down firmly to pack it quite tightly in the bottom, place 10cm more in and push down ,though not quite so firmly, then fill to a final substrate level of approx 15cm after the final mix is gently tamped down to get rid of air pockets.Place your branches etc for climbing on the top of the substrate and your set up is ready

Temperature and humidity
The Beetles need a temperature of 23 to 28�C to mimic their normal life in the wild and benefit from a strong overhead light.

Food
Adult beetles eat any kind of soft fruit, banana being a particularly favourite fruit.

Breeding
If you have a pair or more of beetles, they will often breed as soon as they are put together, males mating with different females. The females will burrow down into the substrate and will lay single eggs within the bottom 5 to 6cm of the substrate. The eggs will hatch and the small white grubs will start to feed on the humous within the substrate. When all the adult beetles are dead, you can sift through the substrate and collect the eggs / grubs which are likely to be at different stages.
The same size grubs can be kept together in a large plastic tub and given plenty of leaf mould which is what they feed on
After 3 to 4 months from hatching, the large white grub, approximately 2.5cm long, will pupate by using the surrounding substrate to create a hard pupal case within which it will pupate into a new beetle, this process taking 4 to 6 weeks. ( if it creates a pupal case against the side of the container, do not prise it away from the side as this will allow bacteria in which will likely kill the new beetle)