Which Roach Next?

[Gsc]

Well, since I ahven't posted in some time...and it seems kinda slow around here...I figured I could make some small talk... I have that hankerin' to get a new roach species for my collection but am stumped on which species. I will hopefully be getting G. oblongata in the next few weeks. I really want Panesthia sp. roaches but no one here in the US has them for sale (the few people that do have them aren't willing to part with them no matter how much I offer)... I'm not using any for feeders so I wanna stray away from many of those species... I've had most in the past (lobsters, green banana's, orangeheads, etc.). My current species list is:

1. Aeluropoda insignis

2. Blaberus craniifer Black Wing

3. Blaberus giganteus

4. Byrsotria rothi

5. Deropeltis paulinoi

6. Hemiblabera sp.

7. Lucihormetica subcincta

8. Lucihormetica verrucosa

9. Macropanesthia rhinoceros

10. Neostylopyga rhombifolia

11. Panesthia angustipennis spadica (Japan)

12. Polyphaga aegyptiaca

13. Polyphaga obscura (Turkmenistan)

14. Princisia vanderbeckie

15. Therea grangeani

16. Therea petiveriana

Most of the colonies aren't eastblished yet although many should be within the next few months hopefully....

Maybe y'all can think of an oddball/rare species that I'm "missing out on"...

I've been kicking around the idea of some of the Coasta Rican Zebras... I like "flashy" oddball species... I do kinda miss my African Bullet Roaches- last time I had them, my colony really established itself well...

Any comments and/or suggestions would be appreciated.

Graham

 

[Allpet Roaches]

Hi Graham,

Of course I'd suggest Paratropes or Megaloblatta but I'm sure you mean species established in the hobby. You had P. nivea but did you ever have the Panchlora sp. "giant"? They are at least worth a try. Gyna species seem to be conspicuously missing from your list. Opisthoplatia orientalis is one of the most beautiful species there is if you've never had them (adults are amazing, nymphs look like wood). On the other hand Dorylaea orini has what is possibly the most beautiful nymph there is (the adult is not impressive). As to just very neat oddities: Eurycotis floridana is a really nice big egg laying species though I don't know of anyone has extras at the moment. How about the very interesting P.americana "white-eye"? Diploptera punctata are unigue in a few ways though they may be a little harder to track down than they used to be. There are a number of other species but I'd say they mostly fall under common feeders and species of so-so interest. I'm sure I'm missing something.

 

[Fredrik]

Hi Graham!

I might have some Paranauphoeta formosana ready this summer and perhaps Homalosilpha gaudens.

Both are very beautiful and extremly rare.

I have to make sure that the cultures are stable first and so far so good. It looks promising

Best wishes

Fredrik

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[Matt K]

Hi Graham!I might have some Paranauphoeta formosana ready this summer and perhaps Homalosilpha gaudens.

Both are very beautiful and extremly rare.

I have to make sure that the cultures are stable first and so far so good. It looks promising

Best wishes

Fredrik

...Unfortunately it is very illegal to ship roaches from Sweden into the USA.

 

[Gsc]

Hey everyone... thanks for the replies. Your right Orin, Paratropes or Megaloblatta are still towards the top of my dream list. I haven't tried Panchlora sp. "giant"... and I've considered the Gyna species .... gives me some food for thought..

Thansk!

Graham

 

[Matt K]

Hey everyone... thanks for the replies. Your right Orin, Paratropes or Megaloblatta are still towards the top of my dream list. I haven't tried Panchlora sp. "giant"... and I've considered the Gyna species .... gives me some food for thought..Thansk!

Graham

There are just SO many roaches, I would just pick one that you don't already have and go for it!

Orin's Gyna lurida are easy and the colors are spectacular. Panchlora sp. "giant" are a great one, too. But if you can keep those, why not get Pseudomops ? Very colorful, smallish, and easy to keep. Eurycotis decipiens is one of the more fantastic roaches.... D. punctata are excellent, and the nymphs are born almost one fifth the size of the adult!

...there are just so many I don't know how you would choose.

 

[Zephyr]

Might I recommend G. capucina? Very striking nymphs and definately a colorful species.

 

[Zephyr]

P. pallidus maybe?

 

[Gsc]

Might I recommend G. capucina? Very striking nymphs and definately a colorful species.

Yes, those are some that I really have been considering...I haven't seen them for sale though latly....

Graham

PS: Thanks!

 

[Matt K]

Yes, those are some that I really have been considering...I haven't seen them for sale though latly....Graham

PS: Thanks!

I rather like my Ergaula capucina as much as my Gyna capucina...E.capucina are like a chocolate roach!

 

[Gsc]

I rather like my Ergaula capucina as much as my Gyna capucina...E.capucina are like a chocolate roach!

Ahh, yes Matt...it's the Ergaula capucina that I was thinking off... the adults have that light brown stripe accross them (right???)... I didn't know you had them...let me know when they are established..

Graham

 

[Matt K]

Ahh, yes Matt...it's the Ergaula capucina that I was thinking off... the adults have that light brown stripe accross them (right???)... I didn't know you had them...let me know when they are established..Graham

...how much counts as established? The subtrate is already teaming with nymphs.... my goal is to have each species' colony population between 500 and 1000.

 

[Allpet Roaches]

Ahh, yes Matt...it's the Ergaula capucina that I was thinking off... the adults have that light brown stripe accross them (right???)... I didn't know you had them...let me know when they are established..Graham

E. capucina is a neat polyphagid. The males have the stripe across the tegmina but the females have no markings and are rounded (almost like a Therea with a black pronotum and brown tegmina). The male is about the same size as a P.aegyptiaca male while the females are smaller than the P.aegyptiaca females (not as big of a size difference).

 

[Gsc]

E. capucina is a neat polyphagid. The males have the stripe across the tegmina but the females have no markings and are rounded (almost like a Therea with a black pronotum and brown tegmina). The male is about the same size as a P.aegyptiaca male while the females are smaller than the P.aegyptiaca females (not as big of a size difference).

Thanks Orin (thats the info I was looking for), I made three bucket cages yesterday and mixed up some substrate (coco fibre, rotten wood & oak leaves)... ready for three more species.. I believe the G. oblongata are a sure thing... I should hopefully be able to get some E. capucina... and STILL have one cage left (considering the Coasta Rican Zebras still).

 

[Zephyr]

Thanks Orin (thats the info I was looking for), I made three bucket cages yesterday and mixed up some substrate (coco fibre, rotten wood & oak leaves)... ready for three more species.. I believe the G. oblongata are a sure thing... I should hopefully be able to get some E. capucina... and STILL have one cage left (considering the Coasta Rican Zebras still).

*cough*G. capucina*cough*

BTW Matt, lemme know when your E. capucina are established. h34r:

 

[PeriplanetaAmericana]

Hi!

I have E. capucina and they are very easy to keep. Good luck with them!

Best regards,

Javier.

 

[Allpet Roaches]

*cough*G. capucina*cough*BTW Matt, lemme know when your E. capucina are established. h34r:

Not sure what your *cough* means but we have two species in the hobby with the same species name: Gyna capucina and Ergaula capucina. They are very different from each other and even come from different families but it's still easy to slip in a g or e on accident. It's not that rare in such a large group --over 4,000 roaches-- to have repeated species names (there are maybe a dozen different roaches from different genera with the species name 'pulchra') but none of those have made it into the hobby.