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Hey I'm Kayla from Indiana. Been interested in insects since I was a little girl. I'd spend most of the day digging in the yard or lifting rocks and logs in search of well, you guessed it. Bugs. As much as I love insects spiders terrify me. Well not too recently, I discovered that hissing cockroaches exist *thank you internet*. These are now my favorite insect species. I'm going to try to collect all the different kinds of living specimens that exist in the hobby. I'm always interested in learning more about them and I'm currently a knowledge sponge for all things hissing cockroach related ♥️ I have a couple species in my collection so far and they're all very dear to me. Havent started breeding them but I'm looking forward to.

I flipped a rock on a whim to look for orange isopods, and not only did I find a reasonably orange one, I found two Surinam roaches! I dug around in the leaves nearby, and found a few more orange-tinged isopods, plus some roach nymphs, but I couldn't catch the nymphs. Isopods have this convenient habit of curling up when you uncover them, but roach nymphs don't tend to do that. I got a male, too! I put them in an empty M&M jar for now, with a handful of coco fiber, some dry leaves, a couple wadded-up coffee filters for added texture, and some dried apple. I'll put a couple inches of coco fiber in there as soon as I can get some. I figure they aren't gonna need much room until they have a batch or two of babies.

I have a particular fondness for roaches that a layperson might look at and ask "what is that?" instead of going "ew, a cockroach". Variety is the spice of life, and the variety of living things is a particularly good spice. I also like the round shapes. I know these aren't common species, but can anyone point me towards some care info on them? I'm trying to figure out something to keep in an Exo Terra 8x8x8 or 8x8x12. These three are looking like they might be possible candidates. I figure I need something fairly small, that doesn't need deep substrate (the most I can get in this is 2" without some juryrigging), that won't scatter everywhere or fly into my face when I open the tank. There's about a 1mm gap along the side edges of the door due to how it's constructed. If I really wanted to, I could silicone the door shut and just open it from the top, but I'd prefer something that can't squeeze out there. I could probably also rig something to make the substrate deeper if it was needed. I also want something that can be reliably left alone as long as it has food and moisture. For the bark roaches, it looks like they eat only apples and bark. I'd give them hardwood bark, we have pecan trees in the area. Would they eat dried apples, do you think? Not store-bought, just sliced thin and dried to jerky texture in the oven. Easier to just keep in a container next to the enclosure to feed them whenever they need it. How warm do they like to be? They look like they'd take decent advantage of climbing space, running up and down things, and might be especially visible from the sides through the glass. The pillbug roaches, I can't find much data on. Roachcrossing says they need good ventilation, moist air, and will eat apples, and I know @Hisserdude had some at one point. Does anyone have any advice on them?

I used my G. portentosa as feeders last summer to the point that I had no juveniles left. My mantids loved them! I occasionally had issues with procrastinating on changing moldy food in my roach tank, so my mantids were eating mold-filled roaches. I did not notice any maladies affecting my mantids because of the roaches.

Well, they're easy to bait out of the substrate with food. You could probably just put food on top of a plate in their enclosure, turn out the lights, and wait for them to swarm it. I'd sugest a pitfall trap, but on second thought they climb a bit too well for that, don't they?

Just my 2 cent based on my collection: * Eublaberus distanti: non climbing, tolerant for room temperature, adult visible at night, burrows, slow life cycle at lower temperatures. * Eupolyphaga sinensis: females non climbing, tolerant for lower temperatures, very hardy, burrows, slow life cycle, but many eggs. * Hemiblabera tenebricosa: non climbing, tolerant for and reproducing at lower temperatures, adult often visible, burrows, relatively fast reproducing. * Hyporhicnoda reflexa: non climbing, tolerant for room temperature, hidden life, burrows, slow reproduction. * Loboptera decipiens: climbing, tolerant for room temperature, often visible, not burrowing, fast reproducing. * Lucihormetica verrucosa: climbing, tolerant for room temperature, very visible, burrows and hides in wood, fast reproducing. * Panchlora nivea: climbing adults, can fly well, tolerant for room temperature, often visible, nymph burrow, fast reproducing. * Panesthia angustipennis angustipennis: non climbing, tolerant for room temperature and below, very hidden life, burrows, very slow reproduction. * Polyphaga aegyptiaca: females non climbing, tolerant for lower temperatures, very hardy, burrows, slow life cycle, but many eggs. * Polyphaga obscura: females non climbing, tolerant for lower temperatures, very hardy, burrows, slow life cycle, slow reproduction. * Polyphaga saussurei: females non climbing, tolerant for lower temperatures, very hardy, burrows, slow life cycle, slow reproduction. * Pseudoglomeris magnifica: climbing, males fly well, tolerant for lower temperatures, pleasure to see, but often hidden, not burrowing, slow life cycle, slow reproduction. * Perisphaerus pygmaeus: climbing, males fly well, tolerant for room temperatures, often hidden, not burrowing. * Schizopilia fissicollis: climbing, tolerant for room temperatures, often hidden, males visible as they fight a lot, not burrowing, relatively fast life cycle, fast reproduction.

Hello! A short introduction of myself, first I am lucky to have a new discussion platform. I think we do not have any active cockroach keeper forum anymore in Europe, our last german forum died 10 years ago. I actual work on a new cockroach keeper forum in german language, it is already online but not active until yet. Maybe there is one in CZ and/or Poland but if then not in a language I speak or can even read. Also of interest for me is to get informations about cockroach species we do not have or never had in culture in Europe. My love for cockroaches was born 2004 at a little terraristic stock market, where I have seen the lovely Gromphadorhina grandidieri (even under this name, by the way in Europe they are usually named Princisia vanwaerebeki "Black & White"; essedentially G.grandidieri at this time was named for what now is G.portentosa "Black") and giant G.portentosa. Before that I knew what a cockroach is, but I never conciously ever had seen one. I cared for my first tarantulas since a few years, and after buying my first one or two pet roach species I passed over to get cockroaches for feeder use, too. Temporary I cared for more than 80 species of cockroaches, this had been a bit too much. Actually I have 30 species here, basically I planed not more than 30 again, but this number inevitable will get some shift I think. I will post a list of my cockroach species another time. Greetings, Marco

The various Blaberus spp. are a good choice and Eublaberus is also a nice fit. Arizona Sand Roaches should be kept with a dry substrate of coconut fiber with only one or two corners of the enclosure kept moist. They should have high ventilation and should be offered dead leaves and dog/cat food for feeding.

Here an actual list of the cockroach species I have in culture: Aeluropoda insignis Archimandrita sp. "Panama, Cerro Chucanti" Balta notulata Blaberus craniifer "Black Wings" Blaptica dubia Decoralampra fulgencioi Dorylea orini Elliptorhina davidi Gyna caffrorum Gyna centurio Gyna lurida Hemithyrsocera palliata Lucihormetica grossei Macropanesthia rhinoceros Melanozosteria nitida (Thailand, Surat Thani, Khao Sok National Park) Morphna dotata Nauphoeta cinerea Panchlora nivea Panesthia angustipennis angustipennis Panesthia angustipennis brevipennis Panesthia angustipennis cognata Paranauphoeta formosana Paratemnopteryx couloniana Perisphaerus pygmaeus Phoetalia pallida Pseudomops septentrionalis Simandoa conserfariam Symploce pallens Therea regularis Thorax porcellana

Hello! They are more sturdy than I thouht and relative fast breeders. I started with 10 in all sizes. Temperatures I have at 27-28°C and humidity high, 70-80% (rain forest climate). They are night active and hiding in the day. Food like all my other roaches - different sorts of fruits and vegetables, dry cat food with oat flakes. They like to eat hazelnut leaves and the bark of young twigs (a real personal tip, some species eat this more than everything else). Beech and oak is ok, too. I think they eat a lot compared to many other species. The young nymphs like to hide in the rolled, dry leaves. This reduces climbing and hiding in the slit between box and lid. They squeeze through real small openings and run over vaseline layers like they would not be there. Olive oil is better. Redundant to mention - all stages are glass climbers. Substrat only 2 or 3 cm, I take coco humus. A quarter to a half humid, the rest dry. If it gets too dry the young nymphs could die. And no, not the adults nor the nyphs do burrow. Sizes: N1 approximately 3mm Males maximum a bit less than 20mm Females maximum a bit more than 25mm I wish you a lot of fun and good results with the Thorax! Greetings, Marco

Hello! I want to show you some of my more uncommon [here in Europe] roach species. My foto size reduction is slightly better than in my last topic and I will further try to improve this. Melanozosteria nitida BRUNNER VON WATTENWYL 1865 (from Khai Sok in Thailand) Only under lights more redish than black, but look at the defensive secretion on their last abdominal segments. They are incredible fast runners. Thorax porcellana SAUSSURE 1862 (from India and Sri Lanka) Beautyful species from the Epilamprinae subfamily. Most fascinating are the baby cockroaches below their mothers wings for the first weeks. First rank breakout artists.

Thanks! I have a Warrior beetle, a couple different death feigning beetles, and just got a couple Megasoma Sleeperi larvae.

Hi all! I realized that I haven't introduced myself yet. I've been into the roach hobby for a little over a month so far. I really love learning about them! Right now I have two adult hissers and two Simandoa Conserfariams nymphs. The adults I bought as is, because I didn't have that much patience to wait for a nymph to grow up lol. I thought hissers would be a good start. I got the Simandoas online after I realized how cool they were! They're my favorite roach as of right now. One of them already shed once, I'm pretty happy about that! I'd like to get a few more of each eventually. I have them both in spacious containers, it's hard to see much activity with only two roaches in each container, and they never eat all the food I give them (does this sound like a good selling pitch for my girlfriend? lol) I'm excited to meet you all and make some friends! Also feel free to give me any advice, whether it be in general or for the Simandoas. I'm kinda interested in breeding Simandoas eventually. They seem to grow pretty slowly but they seem like a very rewarding species to raise. Anyway, I look forward to talking to everyone here!

Welcome to the forum, hope you enjoy it here!

Well that makes my life easier hahaha

Could be a mix of all three TBH, since they were just being sold as G.portentosa there's no telling what they've been mixed with. Yeah, I go by "TJ Ombrelle" on FB lol!

I wasn't thinking they were purebred (hence asking her in confusion if that's what she meant), but considering them for being part of mine. I'd love to know what they are hybrids of, since they were labelled G. portentosa when I bought them I assume they may be part that. But G. oblongata and vanwaerebeki share some markings which mine have, so I'm wondering which of the two these markings could come from as either is a possibility I think. Hmm. Also nice to know you're lurking on fb too 😁

Hello! Six month ago I was able to purchase one pair of the beautiful Morphna dotata WALKER 1869. Better: some weeks ago, some days after the males death, the female produced 20 or some more nymphs. More better: some days ago she gave birth to another ootheca full of baby cockroaches. Here some pictures: Greetings, Marco

Welcome officially lol, hope you enjoy it here!

Welcome aboard!!

Hey! well... any organic substrate should be Ok (like coconut fiber) Do not use Buffalo Worms!... they will bite the ooths of Shelfordella lateralis, but springtails is completely fine if you plan to keep the substrate slightly moist. It depends on how much you use 🙂 2K nymphs would be a lot for myself (It depends on how much you need to use every time)... I mean... you could get a colony of thousands in a short time starting with 100 nymphs. They breed like crazy!!

Managed to take some better pictures, couldn't withhold these...

Hi! I’m new to this forum and excited to be here! There are a lot of gorgeous and fascinating roaches out there and I’m looking forward to learning about them and their care from all who participate in this forum. My own experience in roach keeping is limited, but growing. I have in the past and am currently raising a dubia roach colony that is used as feeders. I also recently purchased nymphs of Peppered, Orange Spot and Question Mark roaches through “Bugs in Cyberspace” and these animals are being enjoyed as pets and - where appropriate and the animals tolerate the handling, will be used (when grown), as ambassadors for educational programs. In the future, I hope to expand my roach collection as my knowledge expands. Eventually, I’d love to have complimentary mixed colonies co-habitating in single tanks with other insects. I believe this will make a dynamic presentation for others and me.