Arenivaga spp.

Housing:

Small containers work best for this genus, which makes sense considering many of them live in the confines of rodent burrows for much of their life. For a good sized starter group of your typical Arenivaga species, I'd recommend using a container no larger than 2 qts, upgrade the enclosure size once they fill up that one, (which could take a while). It all depends upon the species though, some like a roomier cage, as they can get territorial and cannibalize or bite off legs of their tankmates, (like genitalis or tenax for example). Others simply need a larger enclosure because of their size, like the unusually large A.bolliana.

The substrate should be at least a couple inches deep, and should consist of coconut fiber or a similar material, NO sand should be used, as it is much too abrasive for them. While they may live in sandy habitats in the wild, the micro-habitats they live in aren't necessarily sandy. Many species are found in rodent burrows for example, which often have a light, soft layer of what is presumably decaying vegetation and dust on the floor, which is apparently rather close to the texture of coconut fiber. The substrate also shouldn't be too chunky, as the smaller nymphs may have a difficult time getting around, (sifting the coconut fiber to keep it pretty fine may be necessary for some species). On top of the substrate, there should be a layer of dead hardwood leaves, as it may be an important part of their diet.

Most of the enclosure should be kept dry, with one or two corners kept moist at all times. Alternatively, you can do a vertical humidity gradient, with the lower layers of the substrate kept moist, and the upper layers dry, (similar to how many people keep the well known Therea spp.), Arenivaga cf. genitalis actually prefers this. For most Arenivaga though, I've found it easier to just keep one small area of the enclosure humid. Ventilation levels should be very high, as most Arenivaga become prone to fungal infections when ventilation is too low, and females refuse to lay oothecae without enough airflow.


Diet: 

Dead hardwood leaves should be available to all Arenivaga species at all times, as should some sort of protein source, like dog/cat food or chick feed. Most fruits and veggies go untouched.


Temperature: 

Room temps seem to work best for Arenivaga, 68-74F°, however they seem to tolerate higher temps just fine, and it does accelerate growth, (but the sped up growth can possibly result in slightly smaller adults).


Breeding/Life cycle:

Adult females live up to 1-2 years, depending on the species, and males typically only live a couple months at most. The females lay small, inconspicuous oothecae in the substrate that take 3-5 months to hatch, and the resulting nymphs take a year or two to mature, (all depending on how much protein they get, and at what temperatures they are kept). Overall, care of this genus seems to be pretty straightforward, but they are certainly more fragile than many of the exotic Corydiidae genera, like Polyphaga or Therea.