Shed consumption
- Thread starter Zephyr
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RosenKrieger
Eighth Instar
I think most roaches do to a degree.
The reason I bring this up is because I believe the problems I was having with my discoidalis colony a few months ago was because I was overly cleanly with their enclosure.
I removed the shed skins/frass (they were mainly whole or crushed fragments) weekly during the winter months. By the time the babies born during that time were subadults, molting problems became apparent.
I remember at the international science fair talking to a professor from the University of Georgia about cockroaches. He said that one of his students did an experiment with P. americana and post-ecdysis skin consumption. The student found that the roaches that consumed their shed skins had thicker pronotums than those that didn't. Maybe this correlates to the whole exoskeleton as well.
I removed the shed skins/frass (they were mainly whole or crushed fragments) weekly during the winter months. By the time the babies born during that time were subadults, molting problems became apparent.
I remember at the international science fair talking to a professor from the University of Georgia about cockroaches. He said that one of his students did an experiment with P. americana and post-ecdysis skin consumption. The student found that the roaches that consumed their shed skins had thicker pronotums than those that didn't. Maybe this correlates to the whole exoskeleton as well.
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Blaberus generally don't eat their sheds.
Hibiscusmile
Sixth Instar
Very interesting, I wonder if long ago this became a survival regiment?
Strange, I have never seen B. craniifer touch their sheds.
The only ones that I thought don't touch their sheds whatsoever were B. giganteus and B. discoidalis.
My other Blaberus species (Aside from my fuscas, but I just got those and haven't observed any molting yet) never have old sheds laying around. Parts of them, like legs, yes, but not the whole thing.
Maybe babies nibble on the sheds? It would make sense, seeing as the exoskeletons of the young in most species are noticeably thinner than the adults. (Prime example; G. portentosa.)
One of the things I noticed in my mis-molting discoids was that the front half of the roaches were getting out while the abdomens were stuck it. It looked like their abdominal plates didn't have the split running down them that you'd notice on a molting roach. Also, the whole group looked "thinner" and a lot different than the earlier generations. I kept the diet the same and actually added a lot more fruits than I had before. The humidity was sky-high; I had phorid flies all over in their enclosure.
Any other input on this shed-consumption theory?
My other Blaberus species (Aside from my fuscas, but I just got those and haven't observed any molting yet) never have old sheds laying around. Parts of them, like legs, yes, but not the whole thing.
Maybe babies nibble on the sheds? It would make sense, seeing as the exoskeletons of the young in most species are noticeably thinner than the adults. (Prime example; G. portentosa.)
One of the things I noticed in my mis-molting discoids was that the front half of the roaches were getting out while the abdomens were stuck it. It looked like their abdominal plates didn't have the split running down them that you'd notice on a molting roach. Also, the whole group looked "thinner" and a lot different than the earlier generations. I kept the diet the same and actually added a lot more fruits than I had before. The humidity was sky-high; I had phorid flies all over in their enclosure.
Any other input on this shed-consumption theory?
Hibiscusmile
Sixth Instar
what did u think of mine, Orin?
Ralph
Panchlora
I have no experience with discoids, but my craniifer like to tear up their sheds. They will be perfect for hours or a day after shedding, and then I'll find pieces of the exuvium all over the area. I don't know if this is just a byproduct of burrowing or if they are actually eating some.
My hissers usually eat their sheds, but if there is enough other food at the time, they ignore them.
My hissers usually eat their sheds, but if there is enough other food at the time, they ignore them.
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BugmanPrice
Twelfth Instar
Same here. I do know when my B. giganteus they didn't eat the sheds BUT I didn't have babies at the time...
roach-mite
First Instar
My hissers almost always eat their sheds. At least, partly.
But what about B. craniifer and Opisthoplatia orientalis, they usually leave them. rarely saw them eating sheds.
But what about B. craniifer and Opisthoplatia orientalis, they usually leave them. rarely saw them eating sheds.