Blaberus craniifer identification
- Thread starter happy1892
- Start date
MrCrackerpants
Parcoblatta
Got a picture?
happy1892
Twelfth Instar
Nicolas Rousseaux
Seventh Instar
Both are actually Blaberus craniifer, but it is not kwnon if it's a selective breeding or a different local.
Anyway, beware about hybrids, they exist and need to be avoided
Anyway, beware about hybrids, they exist and need to be avoided
vfox
Blatta
After having this discussion on a Facebook group the other day with folks from the US and Europe it seems that there is some much needed research into the holotype to be done. But the consensus currently is that they are both Blaberus craniifer but the black winged animal being from the Caribbean and southern Florida while the brown winged animal is from Central and South America.
That being said, I feel like these two should never have been named the same species. If the holotype of Blaberus craniifer is the brown winged cockroach then the black winged cockroach should be renamed. They are able to crossbreed because the male genitalia is the same shape. For some reason this ability to hybridize has everyone convinced they are the same species... Which tends to ignore all the other Blaberus that can hybridize. Not to mention the two animals have differently shaped bodies, coloration, size, and behavior. But hey, what do I know...
That being said, I feel like these two should never have been named the same species. If the holotype of Blaberus craniifer is the brown winged cockroach then the black winged cockroach should be renamed. They are able to crossbreed because the male genitalia is the same shape. For some reason this ability to hybridize has everyone convinced they are the same species... Which tends to ignore all the other Blaberus that can hybridize. Not to mention the two animals have differently shaped bodies, coloration, size, and behavior. But hey, what do I know...
RomanBuck
Simandoa
can some one please tell me why hybrids and such are so bad? To me, there is no differences other than one has different genes.Both are actually Blaberus craniifer, but it is not kwnon if it's a selective breeding or a different local.
Anyway, beware about hybrids, they exist and need to be avoided
happy1892
Twelfth Instar
If they get out into the wild they mix with other species and those other species die out. Also often hybrids are not healthy but sometimes hybrids are stronger (by stronger I mean better in some way).
Last edited by a moderator:
Nicolas Rousseaux
Seventh Instar
escape in the wild and often sold as pure line... You get hybrids, you sell hybrids, and one moment or another, there is that stupid guy who sell your hybrids as pure line and they get mixed to pure lineage... and the whole stock is hybrided
RomanBuck
Simandoa
The weaker part sounds not too good, the lineage part I understand BUT if the hybrids have different markings then shouldn't they be able to tell? Obviously if your buying online your not but if it's in person then you should be able to tell the difference. If any of that makes sense
Nicolas Rousseaux
Seventh Instar
the diferences are actually more complicated, that"s small details because marquing can be different within the same species :/
happy1892
Twelfth Instar
There is not just crosses of half and half of each kind which would probably be easy to tell apart from one of those pure species. A roach could maybe have a very little of another species and that still is a hybrid right? And because they have so little of the other species they might look just like the pure ones. I have read about golden jackles being bred into a dog. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackal%E2%80%93dog_hybrid
Yeah I raise German and I've noticed that some don't turn light brown when they're fully grown, but remain black like the nymphs.
happy1892
Twelfth Instar
Do you mean they remain dark or really black? My younger German Roach nymphs had some black or dark brown on the sides and light brown in the middle.