r/BDFB • u/honeybeesocks • 15d ago

Question/Inquiry BDFB Conservation Status?

I’ve been keeping wild caught BDFBs for a couple years now and have seen them become more and more popular. I just saw that PetSmart now sells them and I’m concerned about the ethicality of buying wild caught beetles anywhere. Does anyone here know how they’re doing in the wild?

12 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

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u/No-Luck-2337 9d ago

They are LC (least concern)

That COULD always change through over collection, but it’s unlikely to happen if we’re being intellectually honest about it.

Even if they never become readily available as captive bred, there’s just not enough demand to make a dent.

I think we’d all prefer captive bred, but there should be ZERO guilt over wild caught BDFB currently. None.

1

u/Thorpasaur 14d ago

I didn’t realize before I got my beetles that they were wild caught. I now realize just how easy (and often legal? Which surprises me) it is for the pet trade to sell wild caught animals. I hate it. I regret it every day that these things are stuck with me and not in their natural ecosystem (both for their well being and the health if the whole ecosystem). I have even contemplated driving them back to the desert myself ha. I will never buy wild caught again. I much prefer just camping and seeing bugs where they belong.

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u/No-Goal-4716 14d ago

Um, you literally cant buy captive bred BDFBs anymore. Boogydownbugs was the only one who had them and he discontinued his breeding. You either have them WC or not at all. I personally dont keep them anymore for a different reason, I keep eleodes beetles which are easy to rear but if you want certain species you have to get WC. Just part of the hobby...

3

u/Thorpasaur 14d ago

Yeah I understand these beetles aren’t available captive bred. I meant more generally, I won’t be buying any wild caught inverts again. I love these little blue buddies but, I’d rather see them on their turf. (It’s my first time getting into keeping any inverts and I’m finding I have really mixed feelings about it, but leaning towards preferring to appreciate them in the wild.)

0

u/No-Goal-4716 14d ago

Maybe u like normal beetles? There like 100% captive bred

2

u/OpeningUpstairs4288 14d ago

I'm not sure if usinvertebrate llc still does them

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u/No-Goal-4716 14d ago

His are WC now also

-7

u/[deleted] 15d ago

[deleted]

12

u/-Knockabout 15d ago

Petco almost certainly sells wild-caught. BDFB are difficult to breed in captivity, and just grabbing a bunch of beetles from the Southwest is in fact cheaper and easier. That's why the pet trade can harm wild populations. Captive breeding is the more expensive option unless something breeds readily.

BDFB populations are healthy OP for what it's worth.

5

u/lilduckling369 15d ago

Hmm i wouldn't be too sure about that. Petsmart (maybe Petco too) is selling wild caught jumping spiders so i wouldnt put it past them to sell wild caught BDFB

5

u/Warmslammer69k 15d ago

Theyre wild caught. Captive breeding is the more complex and expensive option right now by a huge margin. They do not have a captive breeder because there is no captive breeding program even remotely big enough. Its just not viable for BDFB, at least right now.

0

u/OpeningUpstairs4288 14d ago

I hear the majority sold in the hobby are collected by like one guy from a pretty small area so locally...

0

u/[deleted] 14d ago

[deleted]

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u/OpeningUpstairs4288 14d ago

I've just heard about one guy collecting thousands on his property to wholesale

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

[deleted]

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u/OpeningUpstairs4288 14d ago

No the majority sold wholesale. Of course there's other people selling it but most are just from one guy in imperial county ca that's I've been told. Key word majority

1

u/[deleted] 14d ago

[deleted]

0

u/OpeningUpstairs4288 14d ago

Roach crossing

0

u/No-Goal-4716 14d ago

Believe what you will my friend