Nanchantress Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I found this guy in my tank of G.portentosa and (possibly) G.oblongonata roaches and I just don't know what to make of him. I don't know if he just hasn't completed hardening after a molt or what. Part of his "armor" looks chipped at the edges. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 He got some bites taken out of the edges of his abdomen. If they suffer any injuries right after a molt, they often don't color and sometimes sclerotize fully (I'm not sure exactly why). Aside from making this instar a little longer due to the extra growth he'll need to do to fix it, there shouldn't be any long-term effects. I have a now-adult female who was bitten like this, but on the metathorax, when she was presub; apparently that area looked just as yummy for her subsequent molts because instead of getting repaired, the damaged area grew slightly. It's mostly just a cosmetic thing although this female is significantly shyer and more skittish than the others (maybe it still hurts a bit). I've had others with the same injuries who pick less conspicuous molting spots and do fine, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanchantress Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Update: Found him dead today. Darn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wodesorel Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Oh! So sorry, Nan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 That's unexpected... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allpet Roaches Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Update: Found him dead today. Darn. It was damage coloration so it wouldn't have carried over into your stock anyway were it to have survived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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