Diapause for captive bred Parcoblatta?

Hisserdude

Hisserdude

Megaloblatta
Forum Supporter
Fall is upon us, and the weather here is slowly starting to get cooler. My Parcoblatta americana colony is doing great, not too much of a die off at all. Now, I've heard that sometimes, CB Parcoblatta do not need a diapause, and can actually die if kept cold. But if they do need a diapause, they would also start to die if not given a cool period. So, the question is, to diapause, or not to diapause? What should I do? Should I stick 'em in the garage, or keep them inside? Tips and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! :)

 
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I believe that the ones that don't need diapause are those collected from warm southern areas. Or possibly they are descended from survivors in a captive colony that wasn't diapaused that developed normally when the rest died.

 
Good idea. Better safe than sorry! The garage must not get too cold during the winter, right? Down to around 40F degrees would maybe be good.

 
I would split the colony if you aren't sure if they are from a northern or southern location and see if one group does better than the other or if one dies and the other doesn't since you don't want to risk losing the whole Colony by cooling it too much if they are a southern population that possibly can't handle the cold or losing them all because you didn't give them diapause when they needed it. And if both groups do well it will just prove diapause doesn't matter for this species since it is found in both warm and cold places.

 
Oh these are definitely a northern strain, caught the original stock here in Idaho myself. I will put most in the garage but I may keep a few indoors, just to see if maybe they can get along without a diapause.

 
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Yeah I would put most if not all in diapause then since you know it won't hurt them but I Like that you are going to use a tiny test group to see if they will survive without it, tell us how it goes :)

 
While I have not kept Parcoblatta in years, I have kept a number of species over many generations and never offered them a cold period (however the house does tend to average cooler in the winter).

 
Hmmm, well they have been in the garage for a little over two weeks, and a few of them have died. Any of them that try to molt die, and a couple adults have died. Is this cause for concern? Should I bring them all inside? I have a few nymphs that got into my Pseudomops container, and they have shown no adverse affects from being kept inside yet.

 
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Hisserdude said:
Hmmm, well they have been in the garage for a little over two weeks, and a few of them have died. Any of them that try to molt die, and a couple adults have died. Is this cause for concern? Should I bring them all inside? I have a few nymphs that got into my Pseudomops container, and they have shown no adverse affects from being kept inside yet.
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I would keep them inside. None of my Parcoblatta americana required diapause.

 
Yeah, I will probably be bringing them all inside. I guess that answers the question if the Idaho strain of P.americana needs a diapause.

 
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