Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm going field-sweeping tomorrow, and I plan on neeting a variety of insects, such as grasshoppers, katydids, etc. Does anyone know where I can find some info on how to keep these kinds of insects alive? Possibly even breed them?

thanks

Katydids and grasshoppers can be kept similar to crickets. Toss some dry food such as oats and raw pumkin seeds on the bottom of a cricket corral. In a separate area (the moist and dry foods shouldn't mix) provide a dish of chopped greens (collards, mustards, turnips and /or dandelions with some slivered squash such as banana or butternut and slivered carrot or parsnips. If you give them some fruit slices such as papaya, mango or orange you won't have to provide them with any water. Katydids and grasshoppers aren't quiet as stupid as crickets; they won't drown in a drop of water. Since these will no longer be wild insects you can also sprinkle some bee pollen or dusting powder on the moist food, to provide calcium.

You won't find much keeping info on most of these partially because many are considered agricultural or horticultural pests and they aren't bred. But, I don't plan to keep my wild insects very long as they are more nutritious sooner than later. I offer them what I find them on in the wild intially, but feed them out. Many moths are the adult phase of the insect and often don't feed. They mate and die.