Housing:
Something like a gallon container works well for a starter culture, eventually as their numbers rise, you'll want to move them to a larger enclosure. Adults can climb, so a tight lid is recommended.
About 2-3 inches of substrate should be provided, preferably coconut fiber, potting soil, peat moss, etc., sand is highly advised against. On top of the substrate, you should also provide a 1-2 inch layer of decaying hardwood leaf litter, as this is supposedly an important part of the nymphs' diet.
No hides are needed, as nymphs and adult females spend most of their time underground, and adults will usually burrow if frightened, especially females. However, some branches and such for the males to climb around on at night might be appreciated.
In my experience, these roaches do best with a vertical humidity gradient, with the upper third of the substrate being kept dry, and the lower layers more humid. To achieve this kind of gradient, simply pull back the top third of the substrate, and heavily mist or pour water onto the lower layer. However, some keepers report that Ergaula breed well when the entire enclosure is kept humid but well ventilated, so it's up to you which method you use. Moderate to high ventilation is recommended.
Diet:
A mix of dog/cat/chick/fish feed and leaf litter work best as the staple diet. Most fruits and veggies have gone ignored in my experience.
Temperature:
These roaches will breed when kept anywhere from 70-85F°, but breed and grow best when kept at 75F° or warmer in my experience.
Breeding/Life cycle:
Adult females live for around 9 months, whilst males live 2-4 months. Females lay and deposit oothecae directly into the substrate, roughly once a week, (depending on the temperature), and each ooth contains around 18 eggs. The oothecae take 3-4 months to hatch, and the resulting nymphs take around 6-8 months to mature, so long as they are kept warm and fed protein based foods regularly, (if kept too cool or not fed enough protein, it can take much longer for nymphs to mature).
Overall these roaches are pretty easy to care for and breed, and are a good choice for beginner and seasoned Blatticulturists alike!
Species Notes:
Ergaula capucina (Burmese Beetle Mimic Roach):
This is the OG Ergaula in culture, and has been around in the hobby for decades. Dark brown in coloration, males normally have a cream colored band across their wings, but sometimes it's just a spot or two. Bit slower breeding than E.pilosa, but pretty hardy all the same.
Ergaula pilosa (Black Beetle Mimic Roach):
Noticeably larger and more prolific than E.capucina, a much darker brown/black coloration as well. Males never have bands across their wings, only a cream colored spot or two in the middle. More tolerant of a wide range of humidity levels.
