Abstract
We examined methods to improve natural mating in A. speciosus via rearing conditions. To test the effects of an inner lid, which was set up to cover pine chip bedding at breeding, we reared pairs in cages with or without the inner lid in a semi-wild condition. In addition, we reared pairs in cages with an inner lid in the room, and a stable environmental condition to eliminate seasonal factors. In the semi-wild condition, one of 11 females bred once in the cage without the inner lid, while 4 of 9 females bred 6 times in total in the cage with the inner lid. In the room condition, 4 of 10 females bred 12 times totally and the most pairs continued successive breeding in the cage with the inner lid. The results of the semi-wild condition experiment suggest that representing nest conditions artificially by using an inner lid can induce breeding in A. speciosus. Furthermore, inner lids can also induce A. speciosus breeding even in rooms. These findings indicate that the simple method using an inner lid is effective to induce breeding in A. speciosus.
