3/10/2022: Celebrating St. Patty’s day early with a bit of green

Six months have passed since the Arizona trip, and the last of the projects acquired therein have started to come to fruition.

Having spotted shimmers of green through the sides of the enclosure, I realized my Cotinis mutabilis larvae were eclosing. A preliminary check a few weeks ago was disappointing, with one adult dead in a pupal cell. I decided to be as patient as possible and cut back on my watering, but eventually I couldn’t take the suspense anymore and excavated the entire substrate.

To my relief I found about 40 healthy adults in various states of sclerotization, more than enough to propagate in perpetuity. Once I confirm larvae (most likely in a month or two, as not all of the beetles were ready to “wake up”), a new page will go up for these mesmerizing green gems. In summer, I’ll try my hand at the eastern US equivalent, Cotinis nitida, once more too.

-Kyle