Betta132 Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 Last night, I saw something green and oval-shaped running across my ceiling. First thought: "well, that looks like a banana roach." Second thought: "that can't be right, those live in South America." So I get my butterfly net, and I catch it, and it is clearly a banana roach. It's little, bright green, and winged, and it has a white edge all the way around it. It's about 2cm long, and it seems healthy. I've looked at all the fruit in the kitchen, and I haven't found any more. I recently bought a pitcher plant online that came from California, but I'm reasonably certain I would have seen a green roach on it while potting it. Do banana roaches ever turn up in Central Texas, or should I keep looking for where it came from? I'm not concerned about an infestation, it's not humid enough here for them to breed well, it's more that I want to catch the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyvie Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 Don't know about Texas, but here in GA near Tennessee I see them occasionally at night in the summer. They're not *supposed* to come up this far, but looks like a few individuals have made it and their colony comes back alive each year. I haven't seen more than one at a time, so my chances of starting my own colony aren't real high right now 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betta132 Posted May 20, 2017 Author Share Posted May 20, 2017 If they're living outside, any idea what sort of habitat they'd be in? Just under fallen leaves, maybe around fruit trees? I want to collect enough for a small colony, they're really pretty roaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyvie Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 Wikipedia says, "The adults can often be found in shrubbery, trees, and plants. The young can be found under logs and other debris," so yeah, both trees and leaves & stuff. One note: they fly really well, so they aren't guaranteed live really close to your house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hisserdude Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 Yeah, they've been introduced to Texas and some of the other southern states, they've been established there for a while. Very nice find, hopefully you can find some more and establish a colony, I'd look for nymphs under boards or rocks on the ground, maybe under leaf litter, and the adults fly to lights, or can sometimes be found in trees among all the leaves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hymenopus Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 I want a banana roach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovebugfarm Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 I can confirm they are native to central texas normally around lakes rivers and come to lights at night. I havnt seen them in Austin but friends in Bastrop and other towns are them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cariblatta lutea Posted June 15, 2017 Share Posted June 15, 2017 Are there any deciduous trees in your area? Nymphs feed on decomposing logs and can often be found cohabiting with bess beetles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovebugfarm Posted June 17, 2017 Share Posted June 17, 2017 There are deciduous trees around it's interesting because the pines start near Bastrop which is where I hear the bananas live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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