Aussie Finch Forum

Soldier beetles Chauliognathus lugubris are in plague proportions in Melbourne again. Are they ok for my Softbills??

Any chance of a photo.
My answer won't help you at all though, as I have no idea.

Mickp - http://www.google.com.au/search?q=Chaul ... ih=533#p=0

Natamambo - no idea, but between the yellow and the black I'd be cautious.

Cheers Ian

Natamambo,i have plenty of them here as well,there even in the aviaries.I don't keep softbills anymore but when i did they never touched them and my current finches don't touch them even my foxy doesn't eat them but he eats every other insect he can find,why i don't know they must have a bitter taste. Craig

I would say put them in if you like but I doubt if anything will eat them. If anything doe thenyou will have an enormous food source. Their name is the "Plague Soldier Beetle" They have defense system which makes them taste like the proverbial s...t sandwich. I was trout fishing on Lake Eucumbene in early November and they were literally in their billions. They covered the shore and the water. The trout would rise to them because of the action they caused on landing on the water but would imediatley spit them out because of the taste. It has been for the past 2 years that there has been a "plague" of these beetles on the east coast of oz but obviously there must be enough food for the larvae which are small grubs which are carnivourus eating aphids, small insects etc. they are related to fireflies but do not have the ability to produce light. Hope this helps.

Matcho

Are we talking about the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/bioconve ... l_olivier/
I breed them, I thought Wrens would eat them but the larvae are a little to leathery, I saw them eat one or two and that's it. Depending on the Softbills your talking about. If it's Chickens, Pheasants, maybe even Quails will eat them. Anyhow they are easy to breed just get a plastic bucket with a lid, drill several holes around the top of the bucket and make sure you have drilled a weep hole on the bottom. throw all your green left over in it. I collect the liquid and pour it onto my seed and vegetable crop (as shown on "Better Gardens" show).

No, NS, talking about these

Nat,there not the ones i was talking about.These ones are red/orange and black and some times are seen stuck together tail to tail (mating),i have always called them soldier beetles. Craig

I think these are what you might be meaning, Craig...
http://achievablegardens.blogspot.com.a ... olour.html

Cheers

Yes that's them Tom,birds will not eat them. Cheers Craig