How long do beetles live?
Beetles, these rather big, intimidating insects appear to be almost everywhere. With their hardened wing cases and their two frontal elytra, they have a very unique appearance.
But today, we’re not going to talk about how they look, but rather about their very short life expectancy, how long do beetles live, and whether or not they get to live longer in captivity than in the wild.
Beetles lifespan
Let us start off by saying that beetles have a very short lifespan. Contrary to what most people might think, they don’t even make to live past a year, but rather tend to die very soon.
You see, beetles have a life expectancy from 10 days to 6 months, depending on the type of beetle we’re talking about, since there’s a particular species that only get to live a couple of days.
Although it might seem like their life expectancy is very short, this is actually really common amongst insects of these types, having very short lifespan, and not being able to even live pass the one year mark.
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How long do beetles live in the wild?
Like we just said, beetles have a very short life expectancy regardless of whether they live in the wild or in captivity. However, it is true they are more likely to live longer if they’re kept in captivity.
That being said, beetles can live anywhere from 10 days to 2 months in the wild. Depending on the type of beetle, of course, this is their standard life time.
Now, if you’re wondering where do they live, beetles can actually be found almost anywhere, in all types of habitats. However, they’re most likely to be found near dark and moist places, usually under rocks and leaves.
If you’re near a pond, a lake or even in a garden, chances are you’ll encounter a beetle in their natural habitat. Don’t worry, they’re not dangerous and won’t do you any harm.
How long do beetles live in captivity?
As you might have been able to tell this far, beetles don’t tend to live long. Depending on the type, if they’re kept in captivity, they might get to complete their full life cycle, living up to 6 months in the best scenario possible.
This isn’t common, and even in captivity, where they live far away from any natural predators, they might get to live only a couple of days, or, if you’re lucky, only up to the 2 months mark.
Life expectancy of beetles according to the species
Ladybugs/Ladybirds (Coccinellidae)
This beetle has the longest life expectancy, being able to live from 2 up to 3 years.
Eastern Hercules beetle (Dynastes tityus)
From 3 up to 6 whole months.
Callosobruchus
It has the shortest lifespan, being able only to live from 10 to to 14 days tops.
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