Development of Copris tripartitus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Two Different Rearing Media

ABSTRACT Like many other sub-social insects, Copris tripartitus Waterhouse requires parental care during the development period in the brood balls. Mass-rearing is achieved by using indoor rearing systems and adding more dung after taking away the brood balls containing eggs. Without parental care, larvae are often affected by desiccation, as well as by fungal or sciarid fly intrusion of the brood balls. This study developed a good substitute for brood ball rearing medium. A significantly greater number of progeny survived to adulthood from broods produced by beetles reared on vermiculite medium (90.69±10.98%) than on peat moss medium (44.82±13.92%). Results of the study suggest that to protect the brood balls from desiccation and to produce healthy adults, 15-20% moisture content vermiculite must be used as brood ball rearing medium for most species reared in the laboratory.