Zephyr Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 While sorting roaches today I found this absolutely stunning and perplexing all-black male B. fusca! To my knowledge my line is pure; They originated from Orin McMonigle and then exchanged to James Tuttle from Blaberus.com. This one is from the second or third generation of my culture; none of the starting stock looked anything like this. Although I did consider hybridization when I first saw it, the body is far too elongate and the tegminal margins resemble those of light B. fusca. Thoughts, comments, questions, concerns? The standard coloration in the colony: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpet Roaches Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 I think they may have been tainted or mislabeled somewhere along the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozymandias Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 it could also just be a random mutation, it can happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpet Roaches Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Variations are in the genes rather than 'random' mutations and it's not impossible but I think the most likely reason is impurity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 Could this be diet related? The generation that one grew up from received more carrots and apples than their parents did. *Edit- I'd also like to add that when the male's wings are spread apart and viewed they resemble the darker female in the first group pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 Here's a pic of some of the starter stock: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt K Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 It could VERY easily have been a B.craniifer nymph got into the mix along the way, and that's what that is...... no question in my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 My 2 cents: Did you check for those hairs on the wings that B. craniifer has? I don't know if they are exclusive to craniifer (thought I read it somewhere), but it might be worth a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted September 23, 2010 Author Share Posted September 23, 2010 At some time in the past I checked several species for wing hairs; this culture had them, as well my actual craniifer, but B. giganteus had some too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted September 23, 2010 Author Share Posted September 23, 2010 It could VERY easily have been a B.craniifer nymph got into the mix along the way, and that's what that is...... no question in my mind. I would love to go that route but the body is far too "fusca"-like. I'd bet it was wayyyy wayyyyyyy back if at all. Coincidentally I've noticed that my "Blaberus peruvianus" males don't have this kind of wing color variation; they have the small B. giganteus-like smudge on their wings but the bands on the "shoulders" of the elytra don't touch or connect to it. Maybe someone mistook "B. peruvianus" for B. fusca and mixed them a while back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtoach Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 a few years ago i used to keep fusca crainifer hybrids. they still looked like fusca, never got black wings. the nymphs were huge i believe a guy on arachnoboards still sells them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I got one too it was mixed with b giganteus nymphs, the others were brown only got 1 black. The black one is still alive after 4 years I call it a super roach! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantisMan Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Here's a pic of some of the starter stock: <img src="http://i48.tinypic.com/2hzp9g5.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /> on the bottom of the picture there is a weird thing on the egg crate that looks like a jack-o-lantern face is that a B.cranifer thorax?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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