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Climbing Polyphaga saussurei


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Last night, one of my adult female Polyphaga saussurei roaches surprised me with her effort to climb the temperature sensor hanging in the enclosure. 
As I mentioned previously, my adult saussurei roaches are, let's say... restless. It's the same every evening, a few hours after the lights go out (except the red lights). 
What I had not expected, was how 'motivated' this roach was to climb to a higher spot. 
My hypothesis at the moment is that these roaches try to find a higher spot (be it a trunk or a rock) to sit on and be found by a male. I'm pretty sure there is more than meets the eye: pheromones most likely (love is in the air?). The sub-adults stay hidden all the time, but this one... I could even touch her and it took some probing for her to release and burrow again in the substrate (to reappear half an hour later). I changed the wire configuration to thwart the next attempt (the enclosure does not have a lid, as I did not expect such action from these 'non-climbers'). 

Anyone else got such bold Polyphaga roaches? 

 

climbin.jpg

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Maybe it's a temporary issue... She might settle down if no male turns up? 
Or perhaphs once she starts to produce an ootheca? Then the long waiting can start.... Btw @Hisserdude didn't you had ootheca and nymphs a long while after? 

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13 hours ago, stanislas said:

Maybe it's a temporary issue... She might settle down if no male turns up? 
Or perhaphs once she starts to produce an ootheca? Then the long waiting can start.... Btw @Hisserdude didn't you had ootheca and nymphs a long while after? 

It took my female like a week to start producing ooths after she matured, and those took around 7 months to hatch, as is the norm for this species it seems. 

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58 minutes ago, Hisserdude said:

It took my female like a week to start producing ooths after she matured, and those took around 7 months to hatch, as is the norm for this species it seems. 

After a week? That's fast... Well, I hope mine will do so soon then... (keeping fingers crossed). 
And when did the second batch come? I suppose they're not to prolific as the Eupolyphaga sinensis (which are like ootheca production units). 

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3 minutes ago, stanislas said:

After a week? That's fast... Well, I hope mine will do so soon then... (keeping fingers crossed). 
And when did the second batch come? I suppose they're not to prolific as the Eupolyphaga sinensis (which are like ootheca production units). 

They seem to lay them roughly once a week, or every other week at least, hard to tell since I really don't check up on them more than once a week typically.  They are almost certainly less prolific than E.sinensis though.

How are the moisture levels in your enclosure?

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I keep it bone dry with one corner moist. Is that what you do as well? Your advice is very welcome!

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1 minute ago, stanislas said:

I keep it bone dry with one corner moist. Is that what you do as well? Your advice is very welcome!

Yeah, that's basically the same as mine, (but I did increase the size of the most spot once I got hatchlings, as I think they are more susceptible to drying out). How long have yours been adults?

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A few weeks at best for some, tow days ago another shed unto adulthood. So I suppose it won't take long to see the first ootheca. 
Do the ootheca remain attached for a while before being dropped?

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6 minutes ago, stanislas said:

A few weeks at best for some, tow days ago another shed unto adulthood. So I suppose it won't take long to see the first ootheca. 
Do the ootheca remain attached for a while before being dropped?

OK, so you should be getting oothecae real soon then. :)

They seem to tow the ooths around for a day or two before dropping them into the substrate.

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And there they are! 
Two ladies towing around an ootheca... 
(a video will follow soon)

IMG_9553.jpg

IMG_9561.jpg

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A video (my 9y old daugther composed the music): 

 

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Very nice congrats on the ooths! :D BTW, you're not actually keeping them on sand, are you? Sand is very abrasive, and slowly wears away at their cuticle, thus severely dessicating them, even if they have moisture available. The little nymphs will most likely quickly perish if kept on sand, and it could be the reason your females are always so restless.

EDIT: Never mind, just read on a different post that your substrate mix is mostly other materials, with just a little bit of sand. That should be OK.

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There indeed on a coco fibre + crushed oak leaves + forest soil + a bit of sand with rounded grains (less abbrasive). So only for the pictures... But anyway thanks for your concerns! 
Now you mention it, the females have stopped being restless now they have ootheca... I guess they settled down with a 'ladies only' life style :)

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On 7/2/2017 at 2:14 AM, stanislas said:

There indeed on a coco fibre + crushed oak leaves + forest soil + a bit of sand with rounded grains (less abbrasive). So only for the pictures... But anyway thanks for your concerns! 
Now you mention it, the females have stopped being restless now they have ootheca... I guess they settled down with a 'ladies only' life style :)

Yeah, it's harder for them to burrow in straight sand, and it contrasts nicely with their coloration, so it makes for some good photos/videos. :)

That's interesting, glad they seem to have settled down a little bit!

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