Housing:
A gallon bin or something similar makes a great starter container for most Parcoblatta species, and some of the smaller ones can be cultured in such a container indefinitely. Larger species or really prolific ones should be moved to more appropriate sized containers as their numbers grow though, to prevent colony crashes due to overcrowding. A five gallon bin would likely house all those species indefinitely.
The enclosures should be moderately ventilated, both the lid and the sides of the container if possible. A tight fitting lid is recommended, as while nymphs can't climb smooth surfaces, adult males and females can, (and males of all species can fly too).
An inch or so of substrate consisting of coconut fiber, peat moss, or cheap unfertilized potting soil should be added to the bottom of the enclosure. You can mix other materials such as cypress mulch, coco coir chunks and long-fibered sphagnum moss if you wish, but such additives are optional. The substrate should be kept fairly humid at all times, unless otherwise stated in the "species by species" tips below.
On top of the substrate, you should provide your Parcoblatta with plenty of hides, in the form of decaying hardwood leaf litter, hardwood bark, eggcrates, paper towel rolls, or "roach-hut" type structures, they aren't very picky about what they'll use as hides. The more surface area they have, the more roaches you'll be able to house within your enclosure.
Diet:
A staple diet of dog/cat/chick feed, supplemented with fruits and veggies works great for all Parcoblatta species, they really aren't picky about food, (except for desertae, which apparently don't love fruits).
Despite being called "wood roaches", rotten wood is completely unnecessary in their diet, and the common name actually refers to them typically being found "in the woods", (though some are actually desert dwellers). They will of course nibble on rotten hardwood or dead leaves if you provide them with some, but only the latter will likely be eaten extensively.
Temperature:
Most Parcoblatta in the hobby will breed and grow well at room temperatures of 70-75F°, and if kept warmer will develop even faster.
Some northern strains of Parcoblatta divisa, pennsylvanica, virginica, etc. do require a winter diapause to breed and develop well, and should be kept in the 50s from late fall to spring. So if yours suddenly stop growing during the fall, or a few do mature but don't reproduce, then they may need a diapause. During the diapause the colony should be kept dark and humid, and foods that don't spoil quickly can be offered once a week or so, though they likely won't eat much.
Breeding/Life cycle:
Each Parcoblatta species has their own different developmental times, and additionally some have specific care needs or quirks that weren't mentioned above, so we will highlight all those differences below, species by species.
Parcoblatta americana:
Adult females can live approximately 8 months, (maybe even a year with a diapause), while adult males typically live 2-3 months. Females lay at least a couple dozen ooths each, which are usually buried in the substrate, and take 1-2 months to hatch. The resulting nymphs normally take 8-10 months to mature at room temperature. No diapause is needed.
Northern California, Idaho, and presumably Oregon strains of this species are quite easy to breed in captivity, and pretty indifferent to crowding. However, Southern California strains have proven impossible to breed long term for whatever reason, and are usually darker than the northern localities.
Parcoblatta bolliana:
Adult females typically live 3-5 months, while males usually only live 1-2 months. Females bury their ooths, which take roughly 2 months to hatch, and the resulting nymphs take approximately 10-12 months to mature, (occasionally you get weirdos that take an extra year to mature). No diapause needed for most strains.
This species is probably the most finicky Parcoblatta species ever, (aside from southern P.americana strains), because molting individuals and ooths are often cannibalized for seemingly no reason, as such they are not easy to keep in large numbers. Alan's recommended strategy to combat this is to dump cypress mulch on the surface of the substrate to give extra hiding spots. Adding layers of leaves and shredded egg cartons helps a lot too. Colonies of this species can be very hard to maintain long term.
Parcoblatta caudelli:
Adult females can live up to 6-7 months, while adult males live half as long. Females lay lots of oothecae, and usually bury them or deposit them under leaf litter/bark. Ooths take around 1.5-2 months to hatch, and the resulting nymphs mature in 8-10? months. No diapause needed.
This species enjoys high humidity, and doesn’t do well when kept dry. They love hiding under bark slabs and eggcrates, so it’s good to provide ample amount of such hides for a healthy colony. This is one of the few Parcoblatta that has macropterous females, and said females can even fly!
P.caudelli is sensitive to overcrowding. Interestingly, Alan noted that they also seem to be very susceptible to fungal problems, as he had colonies from two different localities nearly crash when he forgot to clean out moldy food in their enclosure. However, I didn't have such problems with my colony, even when their substrate was thoroughly infested with Leucocoprinus, they didn't seem to mind, which is odd.
Parcoblatta desertae:
Similar adult lifespan to other Parcoblatta. Ooths take 2-3 months to hatch, and the resulting nymphs mature in about a year. No diapause needed.
They aren't very picky when it comes to temps or humidity. Oddly, this species doesn't particularly like fruits.
Parcoblatta divisa:
Adult females live roughly 4-5 months, while males typically live 1-2 months, (not counting time spent in a diapause for northern strains). Ooths are typically buried, and normally hatch after around 2 months. Nymphs of southern strains take around 6-8 months to mature, while nymphs of northern strains will require a late fall/winter diapause to mature at even rates, thus adding another few months to the total development time.
Diapause definitely needed for northern strains, otherwise the majority of nymphs will basically stop growing at the pre-sub and subadult stages, and the few adults that do mature at staggered rates usually won't reproduce or lay viable oothecae. This species has a rare form with macropterous females, most localities have brachypterous females.
Parcoblatta fulvescens:
Adult females live roughly 2-5 months, while males live around 1-2 months. Ooths are usually buried or deposited under hides, and take only 1.5-2 months to hatch. The resulting nymphs mature in 4-6 months. No diapause needed for most strains.
This species is very hardy, tolerant of overcrowding, and extremely prolific, making them amazing feeders.
Parcoblatta lata:
Adults are long lived (probably the longest living Parcoblatta) with females living up to 8 months, males probably half that at most. Like other species in the genus, these take about a year (sometimes two) to mature. Ooths hatch in just a month or two.
When kept very humid, they often develop fungal infections on their antennae and body that can lead to other problems so it is best to keep them semi-dry with good ventilation. While they tolerate overcrowding, it is best to provide bucket loads of hiding spots for them because they are very prolific.
Parcoblatta notha:
Development times are similar to those of most other Parcoblatta species.
This is a very hardy species that tolerates a wide range of conditions. Alan keeps his semi-dry but it appears that they don’t mind more humid setups either. It is best to provide plenty of eggcrates or layers of bark for them to hide under as they don't like touching the substrate much, like other tree dwelling Parcoblatta.
Parcoblatta pennsylvanica:
Development times similar to those of other Parcoblatta species. Care is pretty much identical to P.lata. Most strains seem to require a diapause to establish a healthy colony, only the most southernmost strains can develop successfully without one.
Parcoblatta uhleriana:
Adult lifespan similar to other Parcoblatta species. Ooths are normally buried or laid under hides, and hatch in 1-2 months. Nymphs take 6-8 months to mature under optimal conditions. No diapause needed for most southern strains. Care is pretty standard for Parcoblatta.
Parcoblatta virginica:
Adult females live for around 3-4 months, while males live half as long. Ooths hatch in 1-2 months, and the resulting nymphs take around 10-12 months to mature. Northern strains will require a diapause for proper development, but most southern strains don't.
This species enjoys high humidity, and is often found in quite humid microhabitats in the wild. They can be rather prolific, and thus enjoy plenty of hides to support a large population.
Parcoblatta zebra:
Adult females usually live 3-5 months, while males live around 1-2 months. Oothecae are buried or deposited under hides, especially under bark. The ooths take roughly 2 months to hatch, and may need to be kept above 75F° for optimal hatch rates. Nymphs take approximately 6-7 months to mature under optimal conditions. No diapause is needed.
This species likes things very moist, almost swampy in their enclosure. Additionally, their favorite hides in my experience were vertically slanted bark slabs resting against each other. This species can be picky at times, and is sensitive to overcrowding and buildups of filth or mold.
Parcoblatta sp. "Wetumpka":
Adult lifespan similar to that of other Parcoblatta species. Ooths take 1-2 months to hatch, and the resulting nymphs take 7-10 months to mature under optimal conditions.
This species is finicky, apparently they like their setup moist, but with good ventilation, (alternatively you could keep half the enclosure humid, half dry). They are also quite protein hungry. Otherwise, you should give them the typical Parcoblatta substrate, hides, etc.
Asiablatta kyotensis:
These get included in this sheet since they used to be in the genus Parcoblatta, and their care is basically the same. Adult lifespan similar to Parcoblatta spp., ooths take 1-2 months to hatch under optimal conditions.
This species prefers warm temps, semi-humid to high humidity levels (but not soaking wet conditions) and lots of surface area. Fruits like apple are enjoyed in addition to a staple diet of dog food.
Colonies can be prone to random crashes. Extreme overcrowding and filth buildups may contribute to crashes, as well as stagnant air or lapses in care. Overall a very prolific species and could definitely be used as feeders.
Overall, Parcoblatta is an underappreciated US native genus that certainly deserves more love in the hobby, and there's quite a variety of species to choose from! I highly suggest Parcoblatta to any cockroach enthusiast, especially those looking to get into Ectobiids! 😁
