Matt K

I have oak leaves available year-round, freshest in November (dead/dry) but otherwise perfect for bugs. They come from a 'wild' area not close to anyones house, field, or runoff.

Well, don't be too disuaded. Panesthia are desireable and interesting roaches to keep. I wish I could get some, but they are not available in the USA. There are several species to admire. Since they are inexpensive maybe you try out a small order. Or given where you live, there are Panesthia collectors in the Phillipines that might be able to supply you with some. Just a thought.

Are yoiu sure that is a fully mature male rhino? Mine were nearly 3 and 7/8ths inches, and my females were 4 to 1/4.... thought I posted a female photo a long while back....

I hate to point this out, but it is EXTREMELY common in Asia to refer to Panesthia sp. as 'rhino roach', which is a term we generally know as MACROpanesthia. Panesthia are very common throughout asia and look just like those pics, where Marcopanesthia only come from eastern Australia. What you have and based on the price I would be pretty sure are a Panesthia species, not actual Rhino roaches.

You said "caught them locally"..... where are you ?

Age? Anything else in the bin like dermestid beetles? Temperature? etc.

It's never too late to add a reply to a thread like this. It is interesting to note that a colony is reported to have eaten a small pine.

Just for the record, when I see "What" reply to anything I posted, I don't even bother to read it. Historically its full of rationalizations and talking in circles like a great politician or religious cult leader. I still challenge anyone to find a eucalyptus in the USA that you can feed to roaches that does not kill said roaches within a few weeks time. Fact: You wont find one, which is what this thread topic is about.

@ WHat- you are known for misleading arguments, or starting arguments when there are none, so please don't do either on this forum.... several of us would appreciate it. As for Eucalyptus in the USA being toxic- anyone who has roaches which will eat leaves is welcome to attempt to feed them eucalyptus leaves. They may or may not eat the leaves. If they eat the leaves the likelihood of those leaves being toxic as not is very high, high enough to be able to generalize that all eucalypts in the USA are toxic to roaches that eat leaves. You could potentially stumble across one of the species that is not, and if you are willing to lose a portion or all of a roach culture for that discovery- be my guest. It is rediculous to try to agrue that some are toxic and some are not unless more than one of anyone reading this has no life at all and all the resources to experiment with a trivial point in roach culture as this is considering the numerous hardwood leaves in the USA that are very much more accessable to everyone, and likely to be a healthy choice for the roaches that happen to consume dead foliage. Since there is no definitive way to test a eucalyptus species for "compatability" to any given species diet..... Good grief. ...and "What", it's even worse when you take thing out of context (again), as my observation of tortoise beetles feeding on a vine known to be toxic to other endemic insects- which has nothing to do with the point you were making other than to illustrate how some species can accept a food item that others cannot - 'fallacious'....please.

In Costa Rica I have seen some really neat looking tortoise beetles that fed exclusively on a vine known to be very toxic to other bugs like katydids and catepillars.... just an observation.

If you are in the USA, all eucalyptus are toxic to insects. They all originated as imported landscape varieties known to be resistant to insect infestation or consumption. Non-toxic varieties can only be found in Australia. I lost quite a few roaches learning that the hard way....

I hate that show !! 1. Sound effects are horrible and aid in demonizing bugs, not making them more familiar to people in general. 2. Staging. All of the seemingly natural (supposed to look natural) are so staged it amazes me I dont see the glipse of forceps in the edge of a screen shot along the way. 3. Incorrectly named bug(s), though its still hard for me to get past spiders that roar like lions..... 4. forgot what reason 4 is already because I get so worked up over how it makes bugs look more scary to people who know nothing about them in the first place. Grrrr, Grrrrr !!!

I have had four molt recently, and this is the second one I've caught just after the process. Nice color! They must eat thier molt, because I have never ever seen any sign of the shed in the whole time I've had rhinos. ?? !!

Whats the deadline again...or did I miss that post?

These seem to be rarely seen in this condition- it always happens only when I'm asleep....

Funny... I once was thrilled to get them. Cultured them forever as they are VERY easy and multiply quickly with slight neglect. Decided I was done with them though and froze the whole bin a few days ago. Keep them going though! One day the may be in big demand (the ones I get rid of bite my backside that way....)

I dislike the Periplaneta, as they are all pests near my home. In the summer at night they can be easily found in small quantities. Mostly P. fuliginosa.

For me, its more a case where if I ran an ad, sold what ever the community would buy that week or two, then I am still stuck with a couple hundred leftovers after the sale. Shipping a few or a couple dozen is one thing, but shipping a hundred or two large hissers in a box is problematic in getting them good ventilation, and not having someone in the shipping company freak out over a hissing box. So if I sold everyone who could buy them small, shippable quantities, I'm left with still overpopulation to destroy. If someone in an easy drive distance from me wanted them, they could have them... for cheap.

So a couple weeks ago, I realized that my G.oblongonota colony was overcrowded. Instead of burning them as usual, I skimmed some out into a seperate container and palced the bulk of them outside. The colony is in an escape-proof bin, and the temps outside were 20-34'F. My thought was they would freeze and I'd pop them into the fire when I could in the next day or two. My pond froze over, all standing water in anything froze solid 2" plus. A container with some water in it on top of the coloy froze solid. The colony remains were in shade during the day so no solar gain would wamr the inside, plus it is ventilated and there is no place for them to huddle together in any mass at all inside. Today temps warmed into the mid 50's so I went to clean out the bin- never ever had a 'get around to it' thing going, normally I toast them immediately. opened the bin to scoop out what may be smelly remains, and to my suprise- a majority of them survived the week plus of freezing. Moving VERY slowly, but alive. Brought one in to warm up and its as good as new. Now they are all disposed of, but was suprised to see a group of hissers, a tropical species, able to live through freezing weather. Who would have thought it? HAte to say it, but the US government may have some justification after all.....

Well as it was explained to me (as they see it), the tendancy for someone wanting to import 'unusual or atypical' livestock is to also have other types of livestock that are requiring permits or not allowed at all; so when someone is wanting to import something like a cockroach the likelihood of them having unauthorized exotics at home is pretty high, and/or being associated with someone who is involved with livestock smuggling. While I know this is generally not the case, thier records indicate otherwise.

NOT sympathetic in any stretch of imagination at all. Very harsh, raised voices, shoving, angry sounding always, highly aggressive. Even had me spend nearly a hour in a holding cell. Way overboard with the rudeness to the point of being rediculous. Horrible experience in almost every way. Probably the only thing that kep me out of jail was the two officers that days later came to my house to inspect what I own, and they were very impressed with the cleanliness of it all. Thank god for that.... something to be said for clean, uniform caging and lots of clean white formica shelving and counter tops...... also had almost no phorid flies that day too. *Whew*

I meant to add before that I have since reduced my collection down to a reasonable level= 35 roach cultures, 20 Tarantula (though two have sacs incubating), 4 assorted bugs, whipspiders, superworms, around 50 geckos and lizards, a dozen snakes, 3 chickens, 2 cats, and partridge in a pear tree..... back to work!

I just had roaches only. For vertebrates it starts at 10,000 I believe per my conversation (now three years ago) with them.

Excellent photos, particularly of the last two of the gentitalia. Very clear and concise. Eublaberus = the original 'giant cave roach' I think. Can't recall the reference right off hand though, but no doubt Zephyr can and will find it someplace...

WHY can I not read any of this thread? All I see is the original post....