Bean Weevils?

[Scoot2000]

Hey everyone, just wondering if there are any of you that have experience with feeding bean weevils. My main concern is that they might mess up some plants in my planted vivarium. I know they're all about the legumes, but if they don't have access to any, maybe a brom would be tasty? Any info would be great. There isn't much out there on the internet. Thanks!

[Tanina]

Could you not just add a dish with legumes in it for them? I've been wanting to starta culture for my dwarf geckos but not been able to locate a source.

[Stewjoe]

I think rimridge farms posted an add in the classifieds a while back about bean weevil cultures.

[GONESNAKEE]

I think rimridge farms posted an add in the classifieds a while back about bean weevil cultures.

Yep Dan had cultures available for sale at the show as well, he wold be a good guy to ask more about them, Mark

[FrogPimp]

maybe a brom would be tasty?

Assuming you are referring to bean beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus, the adult beetles do not feed or drink, so no, a brom would not be tasty. They only live for about 2 weeks to mate and lay eggs.

It is incorrect to call these bean beetles bean weevils as they are not weevils. They are in the family Chrysomelidae. Weevils are in the family Curculionidae.

[Spankenstyne]

Could be talking about these? http://www.grainscanada.gc.ca/storag.../bw-bh-eng.htm

[rimridge]

Scoot, Like Frog pimp said bean weevils won't bother your plants and there is no need to add anything for them. Just feed as much per feeding you think they are able to eat.
Tanina, I did have cultures at the expo. I guess you missed them, but I thought maybe you were one that picked one up as I don't know you in person.
I do have bean weevil cultures available if you are interested...Dan

[FrogPimp]

Could be talking about these? http://www.grainscanada.gc.ca/storag.../bw-bh-eng.htm

Hard to say. There are dozens of chrysomelid beetles that are pests of beans, all of which unfortunately have the same common name of "bean weevil", and none of them are weevils. I have said it before and I will say it again, "stupid common names", not only are they utterly useless, they frequently lead to confusion. Do you know how many thousands of "sidewalk beetles" there are?

I usually buy "bean weevils" anytime I see them offered in the hopes that they turn out to be a species I do not already have. In the past 2 years I have purchased bean beetles from 4 Albertans, and they all ended up being Callosobruchus maculatus. It seems this is the species most prevalent in Alberta.

I had A. obtectus about 5-6 years ago, but my laziness and neglect caused them to die off, and I have been searching for another starter culture ever since. The frogger I originally obtained them from is no longer in the hobby.

Regardless of which "bean weevil" we speak, they all have short lifespans and do not require feed or water, so broms are still not tasty.

Females require a suitable substrate (ie. beans) to be present in order for them to become sexually mature and for them to lay their eggs on. A bean beetle won't lay eggs on broms. So if you are worried about the larvae tasting your broms, that is not a worry either. On top of that, the larvae feed on the embryo and surrounding endosperm contained in the bean, none of which is found on broms, so there is literally no food source for the larvae present on broms.

On top of all that, my experience is that bean beetles (and most feeder insects) die within 1-2 days after being dusted with caclium/vitamins/etc. The dust plugs their spiracles and they have difficulty respiring and die as a result. The last thing a bean beetle has on its mind when it is dying is eating broms and reproduction.

Nothing to worry about.

[Scoot2000]

Thanks for the info everyone! Sorry for the ignorance if they are beetles. I just went off of what I was told when I bought them. Haha. They do look like the one from that link FrogPimp, but they have more red/brown on their backs. I'd take a picture if I had a camera that wasn't complete trash.

[FrogPimp]

Yeah I wish I could take some pictures too but I also have a camera that is complete trash. I was going to buy the $4500 camera but the salesgoof talked me out of it and said "you don't need it". So I bought the $1200 camera and it was a waste of $1200. $1200 cameras are garbage. I can't imagine using a $500 camera when the $1200 camera sucks. Lesson learned: NEVER listen to the salesman.

Check out this link:
http://www.beanbeetles.org/handbook/
Do your beetles look like these?
This is a good starter website for information on these beetles, but there is way more excellent information if you look up some of the references given on that website.

Edit: Note how on this website they refer to them as "bean beetles", not "bean weevils".