Odd cockroach eye color

[Keith]

I know Orin has a line going of white eyed roaches, I also know fruit flies from laboratories now come in a wide variety of eye and body colors. I also had found white eyed and red eyed individuals of the feeder house crickets.

All of these mutations aren't due to diet or they would be very common. What causes the random color mutation in these insects, and besides black and white, has anyone ever come across a roach with any other eye color? I have not.

 

[MantisMan]

my idea for why a roach can have white eyes is that there might be some part of the exoskeleton over the eyes that is lifted up, away from them, so they appear white, similar to how dead skin separated from people and insects is discolored and white

 

[Keith]

Here are photos of the cricket

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[satchellwk]

Have you considered the possibility that that individual cricket was possessed by Satan?

 

[Ralph]

In Drosophila it depends on which pigments are produced and in what proportions, so I would assume it's similar in other insects.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

: )

 

[Keith]

Bad news, I checked on the cricket yesterday and found it dead, dark brown like it was rotting. I have no idea how it died, perhaps it was the cricket virus, there were many dead crickets it probably ate and got infected. At least I was lucky enough to give it a few good last days and share this amazing find! I will continue to look for more in hopes of breeding them.

 

[s.hartzog]

R.I.P. Devil cricket.

 

[Allpet Roaches]

I need one of those red eyed cricket to cross with my black crickets!

 

[Keith]

I need one of those red eyed cricket to cross with my black crickets!

If I ever get more and breed them sucessfully then well make arrangements

 

[pierre72]

Bad news, I checked on the cricket yesterday and found it dead, dark brown like it was rotting. I have no idea how it died, perhaps it was the cricket virus, there were many dead crickets it probably ate and got infected. At least I was lucky enough to give it a few good last days and share this amazing find! I will continue to look for more in hopes of breeding them.

Awe!! It was so pretty too. I'm sorry and good luck finding more.