- Orders containing live animals will be shipped Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday (heater included!)
Protaetia culta culta
Protaetia culta culta
(Waterhouse, 1879)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Subfamily: Cetoniinae
Protaetia culta culta measure about 2 to 2.5cm . It is brown/dark brown to khaki/slightly greenish in color with more or less beige spots.
This species is native to Taiwan. It is often seen in spring and summer in low and medium altitude mountainous areas. In the wild it feeds on nectar and fruits.
Special features:
Very easy to breed
- It is important not to dig into the substrate too much and to wait a few weeks/months before collecting the larvae.
- Protaetia culta culta is a fairly discreet species during the day.
- When it comes out of the shell, it can remain buried for a certain time.


What you might need:
01. Breeding
For larvae : Plastic boxes with ventilation. Provide a quantity of substrate adapted to the number of larvae.
For example, for 10 larvae: provide a 5L box.
For the nymphs : Once in the shell, you can either leave them in the same box as the larvae or transfer them to another ventilated container. To do this, you will need to reposition the shell in the substrate.
For adults: Provide a terrarium adapted to the number of individuals. For 3/4 couples, provide a terrarium of approximately 40x30x30 (LxWxH) with ventilation on the lid. Also provide approximately 10cm minimum of substrate and small branches for movement.
The ground should not be completely flat because the beetles that fall on their backs die quickly because they can no longer turn around. It is therefore very important to fill it with bark, stones or other materials and not to flatten the substrate.
Temperature: 20 to 25°C.
Humidity:
For larvae: Provide a slightly damp substrate.
During pupation: Provide a slightly drier substrate.
For adults: Provide a slightly damp substrate. If the terrarium is well ventilated, provide a small spray of water every 2 to 3 days.
Lighting: Lighting required for adults (bulb, spotlight, tube, etc.)
For larvae: Classic flower beetle substrate: decomposed and crushed oak leaves. The larvae are saproxylophagous and feed on decomposing materials (wood, leaves). If the larvae lack food, there is a risk of dying them or of obtaining small specimens. The substrate will need to be renewed as soon as there is too much excrement.
For adults: Fruits (mainly banana) or beetle jelly. Pollen seems to be well appreciated. Renew as often as possible as soon as the food starts to deteriorate.
Incubation
1 to 2 weeks
Development
About 5 months
Nymphosis
about 4 months
Imago lifespan
3 to 6 months
02. Please note
Sexing: There are several solutions for sexing Protaetia culta.
- The most obvious is to observe the spines present on the tibia of the hind legs. The female has a large and a small spine. For the male they are two small spines of the same length.
- The ventral side of the abdomen can be observed. For the male it is largely covered with a whitish area.
- Looking at the insect from the side, the male has an abdomen that is slightly arched inwards while the female's is straight.
- Looking at the insect from above, the female's elytra completely cover the abdomen and the tip of the abdomen appears rounded while that of the male protrudes and ends slightly in a point.
Prolificacy, mating and laying: Very high prolificacy if optimal conditions.
Cannibalism: Absent.
03. The Diapause
Diapause not necessary.