The detrimental effects of labidura riparia with blattodea in captivity

[Alex]

Hey everyone.

A few months ago I found a few labidura riparia on some flowers outside and placed them with a small colony of feeder roaches. I saw a huge population jump in the l. riparia and a slow to nonexsitent growth in the feeder roaches. At first I thought the earwigs were eating the food or something but that was not the case at at all. At one night I observed them with out opeaning the container. and there was a roach with her ooth pushed out of her body and in a second a adult earwig cameout and grabed the ootheca and pulled it out of her abdomen!!! :mellow:

Needless to say I removed the substrate and all the earwigs on the eggcrates.

But I do like how they look and there day active so here are some nice pics.

 

[Ralph]

Wild observation, I knew they were omnivorous but didn't expect they'd be so daring. They are attractive earwigs, though!

 

[likebugs]

Wow, ootheca thieves!

Still, I would love to try breeding earwigs. I have read that they have interesting maternal behaviors.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

Wow, ootheca thieves!

Still, I would love to try breeding earwigs. I have read that they have interesting maternal behaviors.

Yes, they are very interesting and easy to breed but imho I would not keep them in your bug room. Once they hatch out the young are very good at climbing many surfaces and can get through small holes. Once out they can climb into other enclosures and breed. I brought I gravid female into my bug room and they started popping up in other enclosures. I had to change out a few millipede enclosures because they were breeding like crazy in them. I am still not sure I have gotten them out of everything. If you want to know my breeding technique, let me know. It is simple but efficient.

 

[Keith]

Earwigs fly, I'm surprised more hadent escaped.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

Earwigs fly, I'm surprised more hadent escaped.

I have never observed my species fly.

 

[Alex]

They were almost preadatory.

This species would fly but very poorly....And none have ever escaped from a rubbermaid bin.

 

[MantisMan]

i hate these things! i always have problems with them in spring attacking my luna moth cats