Jet black Gromphadorhina portentosa?

BlattaAnglicana

BlattaAnglicana

Fourth Instar
Just wondering whether it was possible to get a "jet black" morph of Gromphadorhina portentosa as I have got a couple in my (growing) colony. They are completely black all over with no sign of any lighter colouring, stripes or patterning anywhere on the body. I have a colony of about 50 adults and subadults overall which all came from two litters from just two founder females, and the vast majority of them are the "normal" colouring for a G. portentosa i.e. tan/brick coloured abdomen with darker pronotum and thorax - some show a graduated darkening from abdomen to thorax, but others have some darker striping or patterning on the abdomen and thorax as well, but these completely black ones stand out quite a bit.

They were sold to me as G. portentosa though there was no specific indication that they are "pure" stock, I am guessing they are hybrids of some sort but does anyone know whether there is genuinely a "black" pure G. portentosa colour morph, or are these ones more likely to be a throwback to some other species they were crossed with in the past?

 
Typically, colonies with a lot of variable adult coloration are hybrids, though I think there are supposed to be black variants of Gromphadorhina portentosa. Either way, you could probably isolate the color morph with selective breeding if you wanted to, people have isolated an all black morph of "Gromphadorhina grandidieri/Princisia vanwaerebeki Tricolor". :)

 
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