All About Arthropods

23 hours ago, birdonfire said:

A couple questions here:

1) Any idea where I can find micro-mesh/micro-screen locally (NC) or buy small quantities online? 

2) The best way to keep Mezium spp. How? I have them in a container that needs more ventilation (hence the previous question) and the food molds rapidly. There's only a few at the moment but hoping the colony will expand. Would use regular screen but I think they could get through? They are currently on very dry peat moss and egg crate. Poking small holes in the container has resulted in busted plastic. 

Thank you for your help. 

I'm not sure about sources local to NC, but micro mesh/screening can usually be found on eBay pretty easily. 🙂

I keep my large colony in a 128 oz. "Up & Up" food storage container from Target. Started with 64 oz. size and upgraded from there. I just poke some large pinholes in the lid for ventilation (since they lack true climbing abilities and can't make their way onto the lid). There's no need for the use of conventional substrates like peat moss, coconut fiber, etc. with these guys as their "substrate" should just be a layer of their food (I personally use a mix of oats and crushed dog food for mine). 

Here are a couple pics of my enclosure in case they might be of any use:

That would be a large nymph of Periplaneta americana, the American Roach. 🙂

Welcome!! 

This is indeed L.verrucosa. L.subcincta don't get any colorful markings as nymphs. 

Welcome to the team! 🙂

Maybe you could try getting some insectivorous animals to help relieve your colonies? Besides that, selling/trading and culling are really the only other options. If colonies get too large, they will technically manage themselves by crashing and eventually repopulating, but this is the worst option ethically.

Gorgeous! Best of luck with establishing a colony. 😄 I've always loved this species, but have had trouble even keeping individuals alive in my 1 or 2 tries with U.S stocks. Never understood how some people seemed to have theirs breeding like pests. 😅

6 hours ago, Hisserdude said:

Deropeltis sp. 'Masai Mara" also kinda do a hissing thing when they spray their defensive fluid.

Interesting, didn't know that!

42 minutes ago, Martin said:

Archiblatta hoeveni - hissing

Of course! These sound especially neat. Don't know how I forgot about them! 😅

I thought it'd be interesting to compile a list of cockroaches in the hobby that are capable of producing sound! Just got some Eurycotis floridana "Big Torch Key" and was shocked to hear them hiss, causing me to wonder what other vocal species might be out there that nobody talks about. 😃 I'll start it off with the species I've personally witnessed produce sound/know can produce sound, whether it be through stridulation or hissing.

Hissers (Gromphadorhina, Elliptorhina, Aleuropoda, Princisia, etc.) *Hissing*

Macropanesthia rhinoceros *Hissing*

Nauphoeta cinerea *Stridulation*

Henschotedenia flexivitta *Stridulation*

Simandoa conserfariam *Stridulation*

Rhyparobia sp. "Gold" *Stridulation*

Eurycotis floridana *Hissing*

Blaberus giganteus *Stridulation*

Blaberus colosseus *Stridulation*

Blaberus craniifer *Stridulation*

Awesome to hear that you're getting back into bugs again and welcome to the forum! 

- Joshua Campos from FB 🙂

Welcome!! 🙂

These are Armadillidium vulgare (Common Pillbugs). 🙂 And, yes, that is their poop. lol

For some reason, I've noticed that my Lucihormetica nymphs like to stand on the backs of larger individuals in the colony, which I find pretty cute! I also enjoy watching all life stages of my Rhyparobia sp. "Gold" emerge to drink a sip of water during maintenance. The courtship rituals of male African Bullet Roaches definitely take the cake though! Their tiny fluttering wings are the most adorable things you'll ever see (here's some footage). 🥺

No problem!

Adult males will have feathery antennae, while nymphs will have normal antennae.

Welcome to the forum!!

Welcome to the forum! 🙂

1 hour ago, Bianca m said:

I will definitely look into those thank you so much, I've been having a hard time finding ways to ID them so it'll help! Yes the porcellio spinicornis is the one I really like. The white one I mentioned is actually a magic potion isopod. Really cool

No problem! Are you talking about captive bred isopods that someone sent you or ones that you found in the wild? The identification resources I mentioned will only be useful for wild isopods unfortunately.

It sounds like you may have Porcellio spinicornis and Oniscus asellus by your descriptions. Bugguide is a great resource for identifying different bugs in case you'd like to try it out for any future species you may find.  iNaturalist is also very useful, although it occasionally does get things wrong.

They indeed are winged as adults.

It sounds like you are unfortunately developing allergies to your hissers. Itchy bumps/hives are a common reaction hobbyists report when dealing with roaches they're allergic to.

Welcome aboard! 🙂

I provide most of mine with banana, carrot, dog food, and, occasionally, apple. Some of the more specialized species get dead leaves, in addition to one or more of the other foods.

13 minutes ago, njohns said:

Thanks All About Arthropods, I will definitely do that!

No problem, happy to help!