Behavior Changes After Losing Tank Mate?

[kawaiiroaches]

Sadly, my large female hisser Cersei passed away from old age a few days ago. She was very healthy, my tank has no mold or grain mites. 

I’m absolutely devastated, but oddly enough, my male roach Jaime seemed to be depressed as well? Perhaps I’m projecting, but I’ve noticed behavior changes. It’s not due to sickness, because he’s still eating and walking around, he just seems to show no interest in doing anything but that and sitting in the food dish. He has not been very chatty and doesn’t want to be handled.

This situation feels unique because I rescued him, then bought her because he seemed very lonely. If you keep up with my posts, they had two broods of nymphs together. He has her last brood in the tank with him currently. Could he be confused about where she went? Or am I just projecting emotions onto my roach? 

I’d only like to know in case I should get another female for him. I had been trying to start my own hisser colony. If I get a new female, she shouldn’t bother the nymphs from my deceased hisser, right? 

 

[varnon]

They are absolutely capable of noticing differences, changing their behavior, learning, and maybe even having basic moods or emotions, but I do think what is going on with them is not quite as complicated as what causes behavior for you or I. We are sort of designed to explain things in terms that we understand, so its very normal to assume another animal (or even another person) thinks the way we do, but it is rarely the case. I imagine he simply has less reason to do things now that there are no mature females around. He will likely perk up if other adult females are around, or when the nymphs get bigger. He might even be more active if there was another male for him to have territorial disputes with, although they may also fight too much. Right now he is likely just chilling, waiting for something that actually requires behavior. I don't think he is depressed, but they are somewhat social species, so I think they probably do the best when they live in groups.