Breeding conditions and factors:

Temperature: should be about 22-25C for larvae, for adults it´s worth to heat up using fluorescent tubes or common bulbs. Mainly tropical beetle adults are obviously used to longer light period than we have in Europe and temperature should ideally drop to 15 degrees during the night.

Moisture : Referring to the absolute range of moisture 1(dry)-5(wet) the best is 3-4 for larvae substrate with continuous drying up to 1,5-2 when larvae pupate. Beetles in cocoon are generally less vulnerable when the moisture of breeding substrate is kept low. Too wet cause elytra deformations, mites infestation eventually support fungal and mould infection. These mentioned mainly affect pupas.

Feeding and substrate composition: African Goliathini are commonly diurnal insects, feeding on sap coming from wounds on trees, many of them are found in blossoms of Protea , Vernonia or Acaciasp., although some other species of the Cremastochelini develop in symbiosis with social insects, another big amount of species are found in dung and termite nests. Most of the cetoniinae in culture do accept mixture composed of old leaf litter (any deciduos trees) with addition of rotten wood (preferably white wood, like beech or oak). You can add some leafy vegetable for some particular species (Eudicella, Pachnoda). Also dung or manure supplement is welcomed as some genera do develop in such substrate (Cremastochelini, Oryctes sp., Rhabdotis, Mausoleopsis etc.). Adults in captivity feed on fruit (widely bananas), might be substituted by jelly equivalent for easier maintenance. Fruit should be changed every second day and put on a glass tray to avoid having plenty mites and Drosophilas in it.

Terrarium for keeping tropical beetles: Admeasurements should be equivalent to number and size of beetles, bigger are mostly better. Adequate substrate layer is more than 15cm and it is necessary to keep it quite moist, especially when adults are about to lay eggs. On the surface I put some stones and pieces of bark. Bark retain substrate humidity and give support to adults when turn on their backs.

"Cannibalism" of larvae? Widely spoken there is some kind of so called "cannibalism" among cetoniinae larvae, especially larvae with large mandibles when kept together may wound each other, that sometimes issues in decease so consequently organic matter of larvae body is consumed by others. Real predation is discussed in context of breeding Goliathus (and other species from Goliathinagroup) and in praxis we give these larvae various protein rich additives in order to breed them well. However this way of breeding is very complicated and involves a lot of breeder`s patience.

Sexing : Cetoniinae imago has widely evident sexual dimorphism, males often with developed horns (Eudicella, Mecynorrhina) or having a groove (or deeper channel) on abdomen (Pachnoda, Caelorrhina). Some species have at first glance similar sexes so we can earmark males by global pygidum shapes, tarsae length or thorns presence. These characteristics are described for each individual case (species) elsewhere. Larvae might by distinquished using magnifying glass by a small spot called "Harold´s organ", which could be found on the last abdominal segment on ventral side (well visible on latest larvae instar). This small dot indicates male.