Blue Xestoblatta not really Xestoblatta?

[Hisserdude]

So many people have seen this picture of a beautiful blue Panchlora-like cockroach that is labeled as a Xestoblatta sp, however, I don't think it is.

This roach looks like a Blaberid, yes? It looks closely related to Panchlora. However, if the Cockroach Species File is to be believed, Xestoblatta is a Ectobiid, in the subfamily Blattellinae, see here: http://cockroach.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1175779

Now, there aren't many pictures of the different species, however the ones that do have pictures, (X.hamata or X.sancta for example), look nothing like this blue roach, and not just cause they are a different color, morphologically they seem very different. So, unless I am greatly confused, this blue roach is not a Xestoblatta species, not even close.

Anyone else agree, or disagree? I'd love to hear your guys' thoughts!

 

[varnon]

Sounds like you are right.

I think this species is very clearly related to Panchlora. Panchlora is green, and in many animals green color is derived from a yellow pigment and a blue structural color. In preserved specimens, the green color is often a blue, very similar to what is seen in this roach, because the blue structure is still present, but the yellow pigment has deteriorated. That really makes me think these are pretty much just Panchlora missing some yellow pigment. (It also makes me think you should be able to selectively breed blue or yellow Panchlora, they likely have the components for both colors.)

 

[Allpet Roaches]

New genera are often erected for absolutely no good reason so it's probably not Panchlora but I agree calling it Panchlora sp. seems closer to the truth than calling it the random ectobiid.

 

[Tenevanica]

+1 to the above posts

 

[Hisserdude]

Alrighty, thanks for you opinions guys! I'm not necessarily saying they are Panchlora, but they do seem very closely related, perhaps it is something undescribed. Whether it's an undescribed Panchlora species or a new genus is beyond me. Definitely not Xestoblatta, that's for sure.

 

[blatteoscorpion]

The subfamily Panchlorinae have includes 5 genera: Achroblatta, Anchoblatta, Biolleya, Pelloblatta and Panchlora. so the other genera in the subfamily are somewhat different than Panchlora... i'm sure it's a Panchlora species.

 

[blatteoscorpion]

I think this species is very clearly related to Panchlora. Panchlora is green, and in many animals green color is derived from a yellow pigment and a blue structural color. In preserved specimens, the green color is often a blue, very similar to what is seen in this roach, because the blue structure is still present, but the yellow pigment has deteriorated. That really makes me think these are pretty much just Panchlora missing some yellow pigment. (It also makes me think you should be able to selectively breed blue or yellow Panchlora, they likely have the components for both colors.)

varnon, you are right!!

 

[varnon]

Am I right as in somebody has breed yellow or blue P. nivea? That would be so cool!

 

[Hisserdude]

The subfamily Panchlorinae have includes 5 genera: Achroblatta, Anchoblatta, Biolleya, Pelloblatta and Panchlora. so the other genera in the subfamily are somewhat different than Panchlora... i'm sure it's a Panchlora species.

True, out of all of those, it resembles Panchlora the most. However, it could possibly represent a undescribed genus for all we know, so we would really need to collect some and have a roach taxonomist look at them to know exactly what it is, or look at all the descriptions for the Panchlora species and see if any of them match this guy.

 

[blatteoscorpion]

yes, i agree with you. but you know where this cockroach is from?

so speaking of Xestoblatta, here have a picture of one that i colected in the cloud forest, of course this guy is not so handsome!! lol!!

/monthly_05_2016/post-10220-0-08677800-1464377727_thumb.jpg

 

[Hisserdude]

The Blue roach is apparently from Guyana.

Ha, cool to see a real Xestoblatta, who the heck identified the blue "Panchlora" roach as a Xestoblatta?! Still, that Xestoblatta is good looking, at least to me!

 

[blatteoscorpion]

yea, the mistake of confusing Panchlora with Xestoblatta is a tremendous shortsightedness! lol!

really all kinds of cockroaches are good looking to me, my favourits are 1° Blattoids, 2° Pseudomopids and 3° Epilamprids

 

[Hisserdude]

yea, the mistake of confusing Panchlora with Xestoblatta is a tremendous shortsightedness! lol!

really all kinds of cockroaches are good looking to me, my favourits are 1° Blattoids, 2° Pseudomopids and 3° Epilamprids

Yeah, pretty much every roach strikes my interest, both colorful ones and plain old brown ones! Pseudomops are all really nice, though they aren't the easiest to breed.

 

[blatteoscorpion]

wow!! precisely the same story like Euthlstoblatta and Latiblattella i raised 3 species of Pseudomops: P. cinctus, P. interceptus and P. discicollis

cinctus and interceptus breed well, but discicollis do not

all 3 are from cloud forest area but interceptus is a synanthropic species i have not idea what it's natural environment, discicollis, the smaller species lives in forest clearings near backwaters or marshes and the adults often suck nectar on wild sunflowers, interceptus also does it, and my favorit's cinctus lives in cloud forest litter always near rivers.

in fact, in my previous house I lived in the urban area of cloud forest and there I had more space to breed many species:

the species that i breed well were:

Anisopygia latisecta

Blaberus sp. “Tlaltetela cave”

Caloblatta sp. “cloud forest”

Euthlastoblatta orizabae

Euthlastoblatta totonaca

Homoeogamia mexicana

Ischnoptera occidentalis

Ischnoptera sp “near panamae”

Latiblattella azteca

Latiblattella vitrea

Nyctibora sp “Mancha's Reserve”

Periplaneta australasiae

Periplaneta americana

Panchlora azteca

Panchlora nivea

Pseudomops cinctus

Pseudomops interceptus

Pycnoscelus surinamensis

species that were not achieved:

Anaplecta decipiens

Anaplecta fallax

Eurycotis sp. “Quercus hight mountain”

Euthlastoblatta (Aglaopteryx) chiapas

Latiblattella tarasca

Pseudomops discicollis

Xestoblatta sp “cloud forest”

what is bad I have no photos

 

[blatteoscorpion]

Yeah, pretty much every roach strikes my interest, both colorful ones and plain old brown ones! Pseudomops are all really nice, though they aren't the easiest to breed.

you must take into account that the first 2 ootecas of oviparous species are not always fertile even though they were fertilized , this also happens with some pseudomops

maybe you could try the system I did to raise the pseudomopids that I put in the forum, emphasizing that the egg cases of pseudomops should put them on a bed of wet squeezed toilet paper in an unventilated jar, this will ensure the humidity they need to hatch.

I successfully raised Pseudomops interceptus and Pseudomops cinctus and these species are very prolific.

Later I will try to send you some pictures of those who have now raising with that method