Well, my Paranauphoeta discoidalis colony is still hanging in the balance a bit, there's been another litter or two produced in the couple weeks, but there is still a slow trickle of adults dying off, as well as some nymphs! 😧
I've increased ventilation quite a bit to help keep things from getting overly humid, which I believe may be tied to the deaths, however I've noticed that the dead individuals become covered in white mold after a couple days... I'm not sure whether this is just normal mold that is growing on them because of a lack of springtails in the enclosure, or the dreaded entomophagus fungus. 😨
I have placed two Parcoblatta americana nymphs, one Balta notulata nymph and an adult Panchlora sp. "Costa Rica Yellow" in the enclosure with the Paranauphoeta now, their enclosure should be adequate enough for them to live normal, long lives. If any of them die prematurely and become covered in mold, I'll know pretty much for sure that the enclosure is infested with entomophagus fungus, and will have to destroy it. If they don't die prematurely, then I'll know something else is at play...
Thus continues the frustrating and stressful Paranauphoeta mystery... I'll keep you all updated on them.
Well, thanks for reading everyone, I will see you all next time!
PS: Well, I actually remembered that several weeks ago, I placed bark pieces that were previously in my old Paranauphoeta discoidalis enclosure, (that came into contact with dead, moldy adults), into several other roaches enclosures without sterilizing them.
Most notably I put large pieces of bark in my Lanxoblatta rudis and Eurycotis lixa enclosures, and neither are showing any signs of being infected with entomophagus fungi at all, (and the Eurycotis have really chewed up their bark pieces), so that's a good sign that I'm not dealing with an entomophagus fungus here! ☺ We'll see what happens to the other roaches I put in the main Paranauphoeta enclosure before coming to any conclusions though...
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Parallelostethus attenuatus Matured!!! (& More)
One of the mystery Elaterid larvae from Illinois has matured, and it's actually a very pretty one! Pretty sure given the size, location and coloration, this species is Parallelostethus attenuatus! Hopefully the other larva that looked just like this one will mature soon as well, if I had a sexed pair of this species and could breed them, that'd be amazing! 😁
Here are a few pictures of the new adult:
Really nice right? Here's hoping the other one matures soon and is the opposite gender!
Also, the Coniontis sp. "CA" pupa I showed off a few posts ago has eclosed into a big, healthy adult, which is great! 😊
Here is the one half decent picture I could get of it in the teneral state:
Here's hoping there are many more where this one came from!
Well, that's gonna do it for today's post, I hope everyone enjoyed, see you all next time! 😉
Here are a few pictures of the new adult:
Really nice right? Here's hoping the other one matures soon and is the opposite gender!
Also, the Coniontis sp. "CA" pupa I showed off a few posts ago has eclosed into a big, healthy adult, which is great! 😊
Here is the one half decent picture I could get of it in the teneral state:
Here's hoping there are many more where this one came from!
Well, that's gonna do it for today's post, I hope everyone enjoyed, see you all next time! 😉
Monday, March 12, 2018
March Shipping!
Well guys, it's that time of year again! Things are starting to warm up, and I'm finally going to start shipping stuff out again! (At least, through the rest of March and most of April).
The For Sale page is open once again, so I suggest you all go check it out! I've got a lot of cockroaches available this time, as well as some other inverts! 😁
Additionally, for the first time ever, I've put up two Auctions on the US Invertebrate Auction group on Facebook! If you aren't already a member, do yourself a favor and join the group, there are always some pretty cool inverts being offered there!
I've got a group of Oniscus asellus "Mardi Gras Dalmatian" up for grabs, as well as a small group of Pyrophorus noctilucus larvae! Get them while you can! 😉
The For Sale page is open once again, so I suggest you all go check it out! I've got a lot of cockroaches available this time, as well as some other inverts! 😁
Additionally, for the first time ever, I've put up two Auctions on the US Invertebrate Auction group on Facebook! If you aren't already a member, do yourself a favor and join the group, there are always some pretty cool inverts being offered there!
I've got a group of Oniscus asellus "Mardi Gras Dalmatian" up for grabs, as well as a small group of Pyrophorus noctilucus larvae! Get them while you can! 😉
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Pystalla Babies & an Eleodes acuticaudus Update!!!
Well, it's been roughly a month since my Pystalla horrida started laying eggs, and they've already started hatching! 😁 I've been keeping them very warm, which seems to have sped up the incubation process quite a bit! The first babies started hatching on the 8th, and the bulk of them hatched the day after that. There's been one or two hatches since then, but I'm expecting another bunch of them to hatch next week.
Here are some pictures of the cuties:
I've moved them to a Tupperware with eggcarton pieces and TP rolls for hides, and have started feeding them baby Pycnoscelus nigra, (which I have a TON of). So far so good, soon I'll have an army of assassin bugs at my disposal, MUAHAHAHAHA!!! 😜
A second Eleodes acuticaudus has successfully matured, and it is a male, so now I have a sexed pair of this species! 😃 Can't wait to start breeding them, hopefully they will prove to be easier to rear after a couple of generations in captivity, (like with E.spinipes).
Here are some pictures of him when he was teneral, and then when he darkened up the next day:
So far there's been a 100% pupal survival rate, and no deformities. Let's hope it stays that way! 🙂
Well, that's going to do it for this post, I hope everyone enjoyed, will see you all next time! 😉
Here are some pictures of the cuties:
I've moved them to a Tupperware with eggcarton pieces and TP rolls for hides, and have started feeding them baby Pycnoscelus nigra, (which I have a TON of). So far so good, soon I'll have an army of assassin bugs at my disposal, MUAHAHAHAHA!!! 😜
A second Eleodes acuticaudus has successfully matured, and it is a male, so now I have a sexed pair of this species! 😃 Can't wait to start breeding them, hopefully they will prove to be easier to rear after a couple of generations in captivity, (like with E.spinipes).
Here are some pictures of him when he was teneral, and then when he darkened up the next day:
So far there's been a 100% pupal survival rate, and no deformities. Let's hope it stays that way! 🙂
Well, that's going to do it for this post, I hope everyone enjoyed, will see you all next time! 😉
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Eleodes, Eurycotis & Pystalla Updates!
Well, it looks like I've been able to successfully pupate three E.acuticaudus larvae, in addition to the one that matured. So hopefully I can get all three to eclose properly, and maybe get a pair or two, fingers crossed! 🤞
Here is a picture of a pupa:
Will keep you all updated on them!
The other day while checking on my Eurycotis lixa colony, I found several 1st instar nymphs in the enclosure! 🙂 Took around 4 months for this first ootheca to hatch, but I just moved them right next to my heat cable a few days ago, so I'm sure they would have started hatching out sooner had I kept them warmer, (incubation for this species is only supposed to take around 3 months).
Here are some pictures of the cuties:
I find it rather ironic how the young nymphs of this species are so light colored, meanwhile the first few instars of E.improcera are normally jet black...
Lastly, I've been getting a TON of eggs from my Pystalla horrida, I'm going to have my own little army of assassin bugs soon! 😊
Here are a couple pics of the eggs:
Will be sure to let you all know as soon as the first eggs start hatching!
Well, that does it for today's post, thanks for reading everyone, will see you all next time! 😉
Here is a picture of a pupa:
Will keep you all updated on them!
The other day while checking on my Eurycotis lixa colony, I found several 1st instar nymphs in the enclosure! 🙂 Took around 4 months for this first ootheca to hatch, but I just moved them right next to my heat cable a few days ago, so I'm sure they would have started hatching out sooner had I kept them warmer, (incubation for this species is only supposed to take around 3 months).
Here are some pictures of the cuties:
I find it rather ironic how the young nymphs of this species are so light colored, meanwhile the first few instars of E.improcera are normally jet black...
Lastly, I've been getting a TON of eggs from my Pystalla horrida, I'm going to have my own little army of assassin bugs soon! 😊
Here are a couple pics of the eggs:
Will be sure to let you all know as soon as the first eggs start hatching!
Well, that does it for today's post, thanks for reading everyone, will see you all next time! 😉
Friday, March 2, 2018
Arenivaga, Coniontis & Panchlora Updates!
Wow, back to back posting guys, can you believe it? 😜 Luckily, this one is a lot more lighthearted than yesterday's post!
My Arenivaga tonkawa females have finally started laying oothecae, evidently due to the increased ventilation levels! 😁 Hopefully I'll have little tonakwa babies soon!
Here are a couple of pictures of the largest ootheca I could find:
Will let you guys know when the ooths start hatching!
My youngest Panchlora sp. "White" female is very gravid, and I can even see her eggs through her abdomen! (the exoskeletons of Panchlora adults are pretty transparent). Unfortunately this has proven to be rather hard to catch on camera, but I decided to try anyway.
You can just barely make out the curved shape of the ootheca and the eggs in her abdomen if you look hard enough. In any case, I'm really hoping she will give birth soon to a healthy litter of nymphs, rather than abort her ooth for no reason, we'll see!
Finally, after much waiting, one of my Coniontis sp. "CA" larvae has pupated! 😃 The pupa of this species looks much like the other pupae I've seen from this genus, however the exoskeleton looks a lot waxier than other Coniontis pupae I've seen, and reminds me a lot of a Dynastid or Cetoniid pupa!
Here are some pictures of it:
Now this is a pupa I'd love a plushie of, Alex! 😛
Lastly, here are a couple pictures of three Armadillidium maculatum "Dalmatian" having some "fun"! 😆
I'll leave it on that note, hope everyone enjoyed this post, will see you all next time! 😉
My Arenivaga tonkawa females have finally started laying oothecae, evidently due to the increased ventilation levels! 😁 Hopefully I'll have little tonakwa babies soon!
Here are a couple of pictures of the largest ootheca I could find:
Will let you guys know when the ooths start hatching!
My youngest Panchlora sp. "White" female is very gravid, and I can even see her eggs through her abdomen! (the exoskeletons of Panchlora adults are pretty transparent). Unfortunately this has proven to be rather hard to catch on camera, but I decided to try anyway.
You can just barely make out the curved shape of the ootheca and the eggs in her abdomen if you look hard enough. In any case, I'm really hoping she will give birth soon to a healthy litter of nymphs, rather than abort her ooth for no reason, we'll see!
Finally, after much waiting, one of my Coniontis sp. "CA" larvae has pupated! 😃 The pupa of this species looks much like the other pupae I've seen from this genus, however the exoskeleton looks a lot waxier than other Coniontis pupae I've seen, and reminds me a lot of a Dynastid or Cetoniid pupa!
Here are some pictures of it:
Now this is a pupa I'd love a plushie of, Alex! 😛
Lastly, here are a couple pictures of three Armadillidium maculatum "Dalmatian" having some "fun"! 😆
I'll leave it on that note, hope everyone enjoyed this post, will see you all next time! 😉
Thursday, March 1, 2018
The Frass Hits the Fan
Well, things are looking bleak for my Lanxoblatta rudis. Found three dead nymphs the other day, and another one that had been half eaten. 😩 I keep finding them on the enclosure walls, and I saw a couple nymphs even crawling across the substrate... Really don't know how many I'll have left by the time I get some suitable hides for them, can't believe how picky they are being compared to the adults...
My Paranauphoeta discoidalis colony is still suffering, and adults are dying left and right. I mentioned in the last post that I thought it could be a genetic problem, (I've really just been grasping at straws here, trying to figure out what's going on), however I sent a group of nymphs to Tyler Hedlund a couple months ago in a trade, and they have been maturing without ANY wing deformities, which leads me to believe genetics aren't at fault...
Tyler has been keeping his pretty similar to mine, however he seems to be keeping them a bit dryer, and he is using egg carton pieces instead of bark for hides. This made me remember that I actually kept the first generation or two of my Paranauphoeta discoidalis in an enclosure with just paper towel rolls and dead leaves for hides! I only added bark once their numbers started getting higher and they had chewed through the paper towel rolls, that's kinda when things started going downhill.
The bark I've given them is pretty flat, not curved at all, and I have layered them horizontally on top of each other. This may be contributing to the high deformity rates, some species need more vertical hides or spacious areas to inflate their wings properly after molting. The adults also may like more curved areas to hide in, rather than in between flat pieces of bark, and not having any suitable resting areas could be causing my adults to die off early and refuse to give birth.
This is all just speculation, but heck, I'll try anything to save this colony! So, I've replaced pretty much all of their bark hides with paper towel rolls and egg carton pieces, as well as some leaf litter. I did leave a couple small pieces of partially buried bark in the enclosure for the nymphs though, as they really like hiding under those. Will let you all know how this goes!
Lastly, the last of my good looking Deropeltis sp. "Jinka" oothecae has molded over, so I've officially failed at breeding these. 😢 I've got two adult males left and one female, who is looking much more haggard than the males.
I took a few pictures of one of the males recently, so these are probably the last pictures you'll see of them on this blog, until I can get more in the summer:
Really bummed that I couldn't breed this species on the first try, hopefully I'll be able to get more from a friend in the Summer and try again.
Well, that's going to do it for today, thanks for reading everyone, will see you all next post!
My Paranauphoeta discoidalis colony is still suffering, and adults are dying left and right. I mentioned in the last post that I thought it could be a genetic problem, (I've really just been grasping at straws here, trying to figure out what's going on), however I sent a group of nymphs to Tyler Hedlund a couple months ago in a trade, and they have been maturing without ANY wing deformities, which leads me to believe genetics aren't at fault...
Tyler has been keeping his pretty similar to mine, however he seems to be keeping them a bit dryer, and he is using egg carton pieces instead of bark for hides. This made me remember that I actually kept the first generation or two of my Paranauphoeta discoidalis in an enclosure with just paper towel rolls and dead leaves for hides! I only added bark once their numbers started getting higher and they had chewed through the paper towel rolls, that's kinda when things started going downhill.
The bark I've given them is pretty flat, not curved at all, and I have layered them horizontally on top of each other. This may be contributing to the high deformity rates, some species need more vertical hides or spacious areas to inflate their wings properly after molting. The adults also may like more curved areas to hide in, rather than in between flat pieces of bark, and not having any suitable resting areas could be causing my adults to die off early and refuse to give birth.
This is all just speculation, but heck, I'll try anything to save this colony! So, I've replaced pretty much all of their bark hides with paper towel rolls and egg carton pieces, as well as some leaf litter. I did leave a couple small pieces of partially buried bark in the enclosure for the nymphs though, as they really like hiding under those. Will let you all know how this goes!
Lastly, the last of my good looking Deropeltis sp. "Jinka" oothecae has molded over, so I've officially failed at breeding these. 😢 I've got two adult males left and one female, who is looking much more haggard than the males.
I took a few pictures of one of the males recently, so these are probably the last pictures you'll see of them on this blog, until I can get more in the summer:
Really bummed that I couldn't breed this species on the first try, hopefully I'll be able to get more from a friend in the Summer and try again.
Well, that's going to do it for today, thanks for reading everyone, will see you all next post!
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