• Looking to buy a cephalopod? Check out Tomh's Cephs Forum, and this post in particular shares important info about our policies as it relates to responsible ceph-keeping.

Ladybugs

Joined
Aug 6, 2003
Messages
863
Okay this is probably the stupidest question asked here but we have tons of ladybugs around our house now, and the keep falling in to my tank. Will this hurt my octo? Also, I think Pudge ate one.
 
ruh-roh!

if "pudge"hasnt died, dont let it near any more. if he STILL dosnt die, feed him another. if then he dies, :goofysca: if not , they might be good for it.



might
 
As an avid reptile keeper, (chameleons especially), I can tell you that ladybugs as well as 'lightning bugs' both contain toxins. How they react to your octos physiology is unknown to me, however, I would guess the toxins can not be good as food or water additives.
 
I don't know about exterminating them!!! Aren't they good luck :smile: in your home??? I would go with extra covering of the tank! They will eventually die off.

Chamkeeper - Did you go to the reptile show near Reading this past weekend? I was amazed at all the venomous snakes there!

Carol
 
AH yes...the PA is the last bastion of "hot" reptiles...sigh. I wish we were a bit free-er out here on that subject...but, we can keep quite a few rattlesnakes. I used to have the nicest collection of tree vipers...
On the subject of the beetles... I wouldn't worry overmuch about one beetle being eaten, but I wouldn't push your luck...cover that tank! I think that spraying (the exterminator) would be worse than the beetles though...we stopped using toxins about 3 years ago...bought 6 banana geckos and just let them loose...works out great! (except for when we had to move...fast little buggers). Nary a cricket, scorpion, spider or roach shows its head for very long !
Greg
 
Pudge is still doing well although he still doesn't change colors like all the other octos that I hear about. I just finished covering the tank (again) with duct tape. We also have a bunch of boxelder bugs, are they as bad as the ladybugs?
 
Hi Nick,

I can't say about individual species of insects, but you shouldn't have
anything dropping into your tank! Make sure it's well covered and sealed.

Usually you allow for some ventilation (covers that come with the tanks have this built in). You can duct tape netting,etc. over any open areas, still keep your octo in and all else out.

Glad Pudge is OK!

Nancy
 
Octo's and Ladybugs

We also have had an abundance of ladybugs in our area; so much so that several articles have appeared about locally. Not a day goes by that I don't hear my daughter screeching because the "ladybirds" are chasing her or the crunch of tiny shells meaning we've either stepped on one or my dogs have found a snack.

Don't have an octo (yet) but I've always read that animals have an instinct for items that may be poisonous to them.

For instance, berry's that birds don't eat, people shouldn't touch. My dog will eat almost anything, but grapes or chocolate she won't touch and these things are poisonous to dogs.

An octopus, with all it's sensitivity, wouldn't it know if something was ok or not to eat? I also wonder if they ever eat insects outside of captivity? I am so curious about these marvelous creatures. I can't wait to get one myself. Simply biding my time.
 
I once researched using crickets and other terrestrial arthropods as food for octopus and cuttlefish. Amazingly, crickets are taken readily by both young octos and cuttles. Of course, you have this little problem in the drastic difference in environments the prey and pedator come from.

Cephalopods are one of the oldest groups of animals that inhabit this earth- predating insects by about a gazillion years. Can a cephalopod gain any usable nutrition from an insect? It's hard to say- so little is known. I believe James Wood did a quick nutritional analysis of crickets and cockroaches, but I don't remember the results of that study.

As for instinctually knowing that ladybugs are toxic...I'd doubt it. When in all of evolutionary history have octopuses encountered ladybugs on a level that an evolutionary shift could occur?

I understand that most terrestrial predators find ladybugs taste bad. Octos are very big on tasting food before devouring it, so if cephalopods have similar tastes as finches, I'd bet the octopus spit it out. (somebody pilot a study on feeding fiddler crabs and crayfish to finches!!!! :biggrin2:)

I'd just call it an accident and not worry about it. Far worse things have fallen in my octopus tank without incident- including an iguana.

Cheers, Jim
 

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top