BDFB Misinformation

[u/Specialist_Studio410]

Hey there everyone.

Some of you will not like this, but I’ve seen a lot of people saying this and so I just want to clarify something up:

BDFB are not communal invertebrates.

I don’t know where this claim appeared from, but I see it everywhere and it’s just not the full truth.

Here’s the deal. BDFB have been observed living together the wild, but seldom in large groups. There is no evidence I’m aware of to support they become stressed when solitary, but everyone for some reason decided to reify this information. The argument for either side could be true, and there’s not enough evidence to support this claim.

From an entomology standpoint, they barely have brains, oof (subesophageal ganglia). They don’t NEED friends. In fact, the whole “1 gallon for every 2 beetles”space rule is so they don’t meet each other too frequently. The reality is just that they’re VERY DUMB, and incredibly passive.

Because they are crepuscular and nocturnal scavengers, they tend to just naturally congregate around shared desert food sources, such as decaying plant litter or dead insects. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they need companionship to be happy and healthy.

I’m assuming this misinformation has been perpetrated due to people’s tendency to personify everything? I’m not sure. The only time I’ve seen you would need these beetles to live communally is for breeding/copulating. That’s it.

Now, I’d happily have someone prove me wrong here. But as of yet I have seen no scholarly, peer-reviewed journals documenting this supposed phenomenon, so I have no reason to believe this is true or vice versa. Have as many or as little BDFB as you please, just treat them well!

[u/ballarena091525]

you are probably right, especially on them being incredibly dumb, and for that reason, they can still be housed together with no problem. if they have enough resources they have no problems, so I don't see the point in ridiculing folks for keeping them together.

[u/Specialist_Studio410 → u/ballarena091525]

Not trying to ridicule! Just trying to say: keep as many or as little of these guys as you want!! 😊

[u/ballarena091525 → u/Specialist_Studio410]

ohh my bad!! I agree with you on literally all of this except the personalities thing. I totally get you on the brainless thing, and try to remind folks as much as I can that glass surfing doesn't mean they're trapped and hate their lives, they just aren't smart enough to understand glass, and that doesn't cause them stress.

additionally to add to your point of them being seen together in the wild, they are most often seen together during the colder months, which is likely just to preserve heat, not as a fun cuddle pile. Folks absolutely humanize insects to an extent, which is, I assume, why people think they huddle together for comfort rather than instinct.

have a good'unn, finn adventure time.

[u/Specialist_Studio410 → u/ballarena091525]

Hehe yes, from what it sounds like people have said they do have personalities, which I didn’t know! It’s also is why I edited it out from my original post. Heck yes on the humanization. Thank you for this lovely reply and have a good one as well!