Cockroach of the "Week" 11/16/09- Blaberus craniifer

Best photo?

  • Matt K

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  • Zephyr

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  • Pharma

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  • Roachman26

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Zephyr

Zephyr

Roach Food
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This "week's" RotW (chosen by Matt K) is the true death's head roach.

We're eagerly awaiting Matt K's first submission. :)

 
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Ok then, here is my photo-

Blaberuscraniifer.jpg


 
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Zephyr said:
Looks like I gotta get some pics up. :P
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Mine was photo'd at night crawling around on an orchid leaf where it was quite comfortable. However, I have on occasion put a roach in the refridgerator for a little bit, and as they get cold they get REALLY slow, then take it out and start taking some pics as it warms up so it is still standing but not running around.

If you do that, then check on it every 5 minutes or so while cooling- too long and its legs and eyes will cross never to return.... if it does act dead, there is a 50/50 chance it will warm and revive vs. die.....

 
I've got to say... These guys surprised me today.

While doing tank-checks I pulled out my camera to take some pictures and lifted some egg crate to pics. One male was particularly (Un? Can't call it that. XD) photogenic and kept dashing around and stopping in convenient positions in front of my camera. Wonderful. XD

 
[SIZE=8pt]Well, it's more than a week since the tread started but still:[/SIZE]

Two females, one male and nymphs of my B. craniifer I try to selectively breed for an extra-dark brown.

It's not the darkest ones I have but the only I could photographe that day :P (a slightly darker female is picture A in the GALLERY).

/monthly_11_2009/post-717-1259277947_thumb.jpg

 

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Great pics everyone. I find the discussion about the European strains to be very interesting. Mine look very similar to the pics posted by Matt K. and Zephyr. I'll try to post pics today. I'm very curious to hear from the experts. Could someone with extra time on their hands PM me on how to post pics from a Mac. I'm not too computer savvy.

 
Alrighty then... Due to lack of participation I'm extending the photo submission period by a week.

Come on people, they're not THAT skittish! :P

 
Here are my craniifer pics, finally. My friend got these directly from UC Riverside about fifteen years ago. He's had them isolated in their own tank ever since. He keeps the colony at 100-200 adults and feeds off the excess. They all look pretty much the same. There is no color or size variation among the adults and the undersides all look the same too. No division of the last segment. There is some minor variation of the "death's head". Other than hissers, which are easily sexed, I'm new to sexing roaches. I can see the distinction on my other species, but not on these. Do I have all females? I'll try to get some better pics next time. So, for those of you that know the difference, do these appear to be "true" craniifer?

 
First pic shows the single abdominal plate characteristic of females. If they all have that, you've got all girls.

They look 100% pure to me. :)

 
Zephyr said:
First pic shows the single abdominal plate characteristic of females. If they all have that, you've got all girls.They look 100% pure to me. :)
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My friend gave me 20 adults and 10 variously sized nymphs back in the beginning of October. Can anyone explain how all 20 adults, randomly selected out of 100 or 200, are all females? I've got a few babies, so there is at least one male in his colony. Hopefully, one of the nymphs will mature into a male. He'll be a lucky guy if he does.

 
I'll see if I can get a male vs. female pic up for you...just to be sure. Assuming the sex ratios aren't skewed in his culture, you are right it is pretty unlikely but not impossible.

 
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