Hemiblabera spp. (American Burrowing Roaches)

Housing:

Generally anything 1 gallon or bigger works for a starter culture. This genus spends most of it's time underground, but will also run around on the surface a bit at night. No hides are needed, just a substrate that's at least a couple inches deep. Substrate composition isn't very important, straight coconut fiber, potting soil, or a more organically rich medium can be used, as long as it holds moisture well and is easy to dig through.

This genus generally prefers high humidity, and isn't picky about ventilation either.

Diet:

Dog food, fruits and veggies will work well as the staple diet.

Temperature:

Anywhere in the range of 68-85F° will work for breeding, though obviously the warmer it is, the quicker they'll grow and breed.

Breeding/Life Cycle:

Adults can live a year or two, with females generally living longer than males. Gestation of broods usually takes 3-4 months, and the resulting offspring take an additional 5-7 months to mature depending on conditions.

This is a hardy genus, though Serriata infections, excessive grain mite explosions, and excessive phorid fly outbreaks can present problems to a colony (though those are more so symptoms of overfeeding, overcrowding, and filth buildups than anything).

Species Notes:

Hemiblabera granulata (Granulated Cockroach):

Two strains of this species from Guadeloupe ha e entered the hobby in recent years. They are the smallest of the cultured Hemiblabera, and have heavily textured exoskeletons, and unusually long legs and antennae for this genus. Care is simple and they seem just as hardy as the rest of the genus.

Hemiblabera roseni (Horseshoe Crab Cockroach):

This stock hails from Cuba, and has long been a hobby staple. They've been erroneously labeled as H.tenebricosa and H.brunneri in the US and EU/Asian hobbies respectfully, though recent evidence has shown they are almost certainly H.roseni. This is the largest Hemiblabera in culture, and is incredibly hardy and easy to breed.

Hemiblabera tenebricosa (Broad Keys Cockroach):

This species was apparently in culture at least once decades ago, though was quickly overtaken in culture by the larger H.roseni. The current stock in culture was collected in Monroe County, Florida. This species is the most colorful Hemiblabera in culture, with adults sporting red striping on their abdomens (this being more obvious on males than females). Even nymphs have more patterning on them than the other species in culture. Care is pretty typical for this genus.