This caresheet is based on my experiences rearing Rochaina bilunata and R.metae, and is likely applicable to most other Rochaina spp. (and possibly Eushelfordia and Paratropes as well).
Housing:
This is an arboreal genus, that needs high air humidity, good ventilation (especially for adults), and a decent amount of verticality to their enclosure.
A couple dozen or so small nymphs can be reared in a ½ gallon to 1 gallon container, but once they hit L4-L5 (a cm or so in size), they should probably be upgraded to a 5-10 gallon enclosure. Again, height is just as, if not more important than width in an enclosure, and this being a more territorial genus, space is key. Around 30-45 mixed size nymphs, or 12-15 adults seems to be the limit per 5 gallons of space, give or take depending on exactly how much surface area they are provided.
As far as surface area goes, this genus seems to be a foliage perching obligate, and will not use bark, dead leaf litter or cardboard hides. They only seem to readily rest on foliage (artificial or live), and the sides of their enclosure. Since artificial foliage is easier to use and is still readily accepted, that is what I use, and I've had success with artificial, fabric pothos and fern foliage.
They do seem to be a bit thigmotactic, and prefer to hide between folded leaves or in between pieces of foliage and the sides of the enclosure they're pressed against.
Substrate can be anything from coco fiber to potting soil to compost, they will hardly ever touch it (let alone feed from it), and so it serves only as a moisture retention layer.
This genus prefers consistent, very high air humidity, but low surface moisture. The foliage and walls of the enclosure should dry out within a day or two of misting, the substrate (which they'll almost never touch) can be kept quite moist to keep air humidity up if need be. A bi-weekly misting is recommended for hydration, though once a week can work fine, especially if they have jelly or fresh fruits to obtain moisture from.
I can not emphasize how much this genus despises wet surface area, they will not use their foliage hides if they are damp, which will cause exposure related stress and territorial disputes for suitable hiding places, possibly killing them.
Ventilation is important, and I'd recommend full lid ventilation, and possibly additional cross ventilation in more humid climates. Nymphs can survive with moderate levels of ventilation, but adults will die rapidly if ventilation levels are substandard.
Oothecae (which are often laid on branches/foliage), have the same moisture/humidity requirements as the nymphs and adults. If you have received oothecae to start with, or want to isolate ooths from your main rearing/breeding enclosure for any number of reasons, I'd recommend setting them up in a 16/32 oz deli cup with a fabric mesh lid, filled with an inch or so of damp substrate, topped with some bark pieces. I'd position the ooth(s) on top of the bark, and make sure to keep the substrate moist, but try to keep the bark fairly dry. An occasional direct misting of the ooth every couple of weeks is alright, but for the most part the ooth itself shouldn't get too damp. You want the air humidity to be sky high in the cup though.
Diet:
Fresh fruits, especially banana, are a favorite of this genus. They will also consume artificial pollen, dog food, and fish food readily for their protein needs. Beetle jellies/fruit jelly cups are also accepted, and useful for hydration.
Temperature:
Being a tropical genus, these should be kept at around 75-85F° for optimal growth and breeding.
Breeding/Life Cycle:
Oothecae, which are laid about once monthly per female, take around 4 months to hatch if incubated correctly. Incorrect husbandry may cause the oothecae to take additional time to hatch, though more often than not, they will just die/rot if conditions are substandard. The oothecae are very thick shelled, almost feel like they're made of a thin metal. They start off fairly thin but will start to swell as they get close to hatching. Unusually, the eggs seem to hatch within the ooth, and the nymphs are able to move around inside (kind of like Euthyrrhapha pacifica), before the ooth's hatching seam even opens up.
Sometimes, the ootheca's hatching seam doesn't open widely enough to allow all the nymphs to exit, (seems to be an result of too little air humidity), and so after noticing an ooth has started hatching, you may need to step in and manually pry it open (a difficult task to do with how thick they are, and care must be taken not to just smash the ooth completely), or break a small piece off around the seam to allow the rest of the nymphs to exit freely.
Nymphs often hatch out quite colorful and glossy in texture, gaining more fuzziness and losing coloration as they age. They are quite arboreal and will spend much of their time around the lid of the enclosure during the day, descending to the foliage to hide during the night. As such, maintenance is much easier to do come nightfall.
While a climbing barrier could be used, I suspect small nymphs would easily get stuck and die in barriers, and might get stressed from excessive cleaning of said barriers from their bodies after failed climbing attempts.
Shortly after hatching they are quite communal and will bunch up together, but as they grow they become less and less communal, and will gradually become much more territorial. If not given adequate space they will bully each other over hides and food, which can lead to the halting of growth for most nymphs, and a high mortality rate.
They seem to take around 6-7 months after hatching to reach adulthood, under optimal conditions. Growth rates seem pretty even between the two sexes, with males and females maturing at around the same time. Adults live several months, not sure exactly how long as of writing this sheet, but I suspect at least 6 months for females (maybe less for males).
They are pretty intolerant of pests and pathogens, and care should be taken to keep their enclosure clean and pest free. Springtail overpopulation can also stress them out, so I prefer to use small silvers and other tiny, less prolific springtails as cleaners for these, as opposed to more prolific ones like Coecobrya, Pseudosinella or Willowsia. Predatory mites are also useful to keep grain mites at bay. Serratia infections are not handled well by this genus.
Overall a pretty challenging genus, with some specific care needs, but by no means impossible! The adorable nymphs and stunning adults are more than worth the effort IMO, and I hope to see more species and related genera enter culture in the years to come!
