Extinct in the Wild, but Present in the Hobby?

[kmsgameboy]

*turns green* I so want a pair of those!

 

[Keith]

Oooh! My two cents! I believe you can buy organic bat guano at a store called Pike Family Nursery. (I used to work there.) Unfortunately... this store is only in Georgia. Anyhow, you may be able to find it online if the manufacturer sells it or if you want to contact me privately and have me buy you some and send it over (if you compensate), I'd be happy to do so! Actually, I would be happy to trade shipping for some Blatta lateralis to start a small colony at the University of Georgia. How much fun does that sound! We need a better roach-racing species than Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. I wish I were joking. They actually tried to race madagascar... anyhow.

Male dubia and American cockroaches are awesome runners!

 

[happy1892]

Are they doing well?

 

[Keith]

Cool!!! Do u have them?

Kinda reminds me of wat happened to bombyx mori

I tried to introduce them into the wild, no joke! I placed individuals on wild mulberry tree and they lived about 3 weeks on their own before predators ate them all. It was summer here so they dealt with predators, wind, heavy rain, thunder and lightning, and heat of around 90F. and they lived very long for something they say too domesticated to move from branch to branch to eat, and not understand to rest under the leaf and not above. They both overcame these hurdles. The only problem was moths layed eggs under leaves but the eggs fell off after a few days so I'm not sure what is required for them to stick.

 

[pierre72]

Catchy title, eh?

Well, it may be true. The roaches in this video may be extinct in the wild, existing in only a few captive cultures. Simandoa conserfariam were discovered in a cave system which may have been destroyed by bauxite mining according to one of the author's of the species, Piotr Naskrecki. Their common name is the Simandoa cave roach. The specific name means "to preserve in many places". And thus, they are introduced into our hobby!

Here is a link to a partial page of information. I have the full article if anybody would like to email me for it.

http://www.jstor.org/pss/3503709

They ARE beautiful. I commend you for your efforts and wish you and any others who try to preserve them great success!

 

[pierre72]

Why don't they re-introduce them in the wild? Don't conservationists stick up for cockroaches too?

I'd like to think so, Keith and maybe some do. Unfortunately, I imagine most conservationists are repulsed by and closed minded toward roaches as with the average person.