A Few Last November Roach Updates

My Margattea nimbata culture has really taken off, this species is quite prolific, and thankfully also doesn't seem to care much about crowding or frass buildups. 

I've noticed that they're awfully calm compared to a lot of other Ectobiids I keep, when disturbed they run downwards, instead of upwards like most other climbing Ectobiids do. They're also pretty slow, and seem to only really sprint in short spurts, taking long breaks in between. Overall a very chill Ectobiid to work with, which is nice. 😄

Here are some pictures of a group of nymphs and an adult female feeding on some apple:

Love the ornate patterning on the nymphs, such an underrated species in culture!

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I sold off the bulk of my Gromphadorhina portentosa "LLE Mahogany" colony last week, only keeping two fresh adults pairs for myself. These two pairs are quite pale compared to the rest of the individuals that were in that colony, so I figure I'll try and line breed for this coloration, see if I get an even paler morph isolated over time.

Here are some pictures of the two pairs:

Females

Males

They look a bit more yellow in person, but I think I captured their coloration decently in these pictures. Will be interesting to see if this coloration can even be bred for and isolate, or if it's just an inherently random trait with the Mahogany morph.

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Lastly, my Eucorydia forceps nymphs are growing quite well, they were tiny little specks just a couple months back, and now they're probably around half grown now. 😊

Here are some pictures of the little cuties:

Can't wait to see adults next year, really looking forward to it! 😁

Well, that's gonna do it for this post, thanks for reading, hope everyone enjoyed, stay safe, and I'll see you all next time! 😉

New Margattea & Rhabdoblatta!

Martin's Spring Gift Series Pt. 4/4

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Now, we shall finish off this series by discussing the last two new species I got last month from Martin. 😁

Let's start off with Margattea nimbata, known in China as the "Raindrop Roach". This little Ectobiid is a neat new addition to culture, and reminds me of our native Cariblatta spp. in morphology and general patterning. While the wings of the adults do extend down to the tips of their abdomen, they are still relatively short for an Ectobiid, however I think they can still fly with no issue. 😅 Not THE most skittish Ectobiids I've worked with, but not the calmest either.

I've got my dozen or so individuals set up in a well ventilated deli cup with a thin layer of coco fiber as the substrate, which I'm keeping humid. For hides I'm using bark, leaf litter and cardboard, and I'm keeping them at around 75F°. I'm feeding them dog food and fruits.

So far they've been doing great, the few ooths that came with them hatched, and the adult females have been pumping new ooths out nonstop. The few subadults that came in the original group have started maturing too, so I'm well on my way to having a fully established culture. 😁

Here are some pics of them:

Large nymph

Adult female

Hopefully I can establish this species in US culture easily, fingers crossed! 🤞

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Now, onto a flashier species... or at least they will be when mature. 😁 Introducing Rhabdoblatta parvula "YinJiang, Guangdong, China", the second Rhabdoblatta species to enter US culture in recent years in breedable numbers! 😄 From the few images I've seen, the adults of this species appear to be sexually dimorphic, with males being mostly black, and females reddish brown, sometimes with some black coloration as well. Quite a pretty species, and an amazing new addition to culture! 😍

I've got my 9 small nymphs housed in a moderately ventilated 2 gallon bin with a thin layer of coconut fiber as the substrate, which I'm keeping quite humid. I've given them bark, paper towel rolls and leaf litter for hides, and am keeping them at around 75F°. For food I'm offering dog food and fruits.

Here are some pics of them:

Really hoping these will do well for me, I can't wait to see adults of this species in person, and hopefully establish them in US culture! 😁

Well, that's gonna do it for this series, thanks again to Martin for this awesome package, and check out his blog The Wild Martin for more information and updates on his amazing collection of ants and roaches! 😄

Anyways, thanks for reading, hope everyone enjoyed, stay safe, and I'll see y'all next time! 😉