Exotic giants: is it possible to contain cockroaches of archimandrites at home

A large inhabitant of the South American forests, cockroach archimandrite is popular among fans of exotic insects. This is one of the largest species, the average size of adults is 75-85 mm, females grow to 100 mm. In captivity, they are kept as pets or as nutritious food for reptiles.

Appearance

Archimandrite tesselata (Archimandrita tesselata) or net cockroach belongs to the Blaberidae family, which combines the largest tropical insects. The length of the imago is 75-85 mm, the width is 30-35 mm, the body shape is oval. Sexual dimorphism is mild. Females are slightly larger, the maximum size is up to 100 mm, weight 10-12 g (males 8 g). It is possible to determine sex precisely by the abdomen from the inside, in females the last two segments are fused, in males all segments are the same size.

The head of the insect is mobile, when viewed from above, it hides behind a wide pronotum with a characteristic black pattern. The mouth apparatus is gnawing, it consists of the upper and lower lips, as well as the upper and lower jaw (mandibles and maskill). Chitinous teeth are adapted for grinding and grinding various foods. The main complex eyes are black, located on the sides of the head. There are simple eyes. Bristle-shaped antennae are the organ of smell and touch.

The main body color of the imago is light brown. Elytra developed, in males completely close abdomen. The elytra of the females in some cases is shorter than the last segment, especially during pregnancy, when the abdomen greatly increases in size. The wings are covered with black spots, the intensity of the dark color depends on their number and location.

Information. Archimandrita tesselata do not fly because of the heavy weight, they can only plan from a height.

Insects have 3 pairs of legs. The hind limbs are the longest. The legs are black. There are a large number of sharp spikes on the legs and feet. This structure helps to quickly dig into the forest litter. Mesh cockroaches breathe through special openings along the edges of the abdomen, called spiracles. The life expectancy of an adult archimandrite is 1-1.5 years.

Habitat

The species Archimandrita tesselata lives in the forests of Central and South America. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama and neighboring states.

Lifestyle

Representatives of the species are characterized by a nocturnal lifestyle. In daylight, they hide under the bark of trees, in deciduous litter, under the roots. When it gets dark they get out for food. Most of the time is spent in the lower tier, but sometimes along rough bark they climb trees and run along branches. Insects are omnivores, feed on fruits and other vegetation, eat organic debris. In case of danger, adults release an unpleasant odor from the glands on the abdomen.

Breeding

The male interestingly looks after the female, raising long wings. He performs a kind of ritual dance to attract a partner. For mating, the female climbs on the back of the male. The process takes 30-60 minutes. Archimandrites are ovoviviparous species. The female carries fertilized eggs inside the abdomen. Like other cockroaches, they are located in the protein capsule of the edema, but do not leave the body for a long time.The incubation period takes 90-120 days.

During prolonged bearing of the offspring, the female several times protrudes the oteka outward for ventilation. The capsule is pink. At the time of the offspring, the female drops the capsule. The number of larvae born is 20-30 pieces. Together with their mother they eat the odek from which they appeared. The length of the larvae does not exceed 7 mm.

Interesting fact. The number of males among the larvae is 70-80%.

Nymphs look like wingless adults. They have a black spot on the yellow pronotum. Body color is brown, 6 rows of yellow spots pass along the abdomen. The legs are black, bristly. The chitinous cover of the body is rough, particles of the earth that have fallen into irregularities make the larva inconspicuous. The development of the larva takes 8-12 months. The period of puberty depends on many factors: temperature, humidity, amount of feed.

Offspring are separated from adults by at least 8 links. The interval between them is 20-40 days. A small cockroach discards the dark cover and overgrows with a new one in a day. During this period, he is especially vulnerable to attack, so he hides in shelter. With careful observation, you can determine in advance the preparation of the pet for dropping the carapace. First of all, chitin on facet eyes changes, their color changes from black to gray. The chitinous cover bursts along the body, starting from the head. The nymph gets out of the old shell, which soon eats.

At the last age, the larvae are called predimago. He remains the last molt, after which the cockroach acquires wings and the appearance of an adult. 2 days before the event, the nymph becomes lethargic and inactive. For molting, she climbs up to rise, so that after dropping the carapace she can spread her wings.

Captivity

Mesh cockroaches are bred as a decorative or feed species. Large individuals require a spacious terrarium. Males show territorial behavior and enter into fights, damaging the rivals legs and wings. One of the drawbacks of insects is the eating of molting brethren. In relation to other species of cockroaches, tolerant, can live next to Madagascar. Slow and calm archimandrites are picked up, they are easy to catch when they escape.

Tip. When buying pets at the age of nymphs, it is worth taking 15-20 pieces. It is highly likely that there will be no females among the larvae.

For a mesh cockroach, a terrarium of any type is suitable. Its size is 30x30x30 cm for a colony of 10-15 adults. Glass and plastic boxes, food containers are used. Instead of forest litter, coconut substrate, large sawdust of deciduous trees (conifers are not suitable because of resin), peat, sand are poured. It is recommended to add fallen leaves that are previously disinfected with steam. The thickness of the litter layer is 3-5 cm. In some cases, the substrate is replaced with cardboard egg trays.

On the surface of the substrate lay the bark and tree branches. Insects will crawl over them and use them as a molting spot. All items are processed with boiling water, washed, warmed up in the microwave. Cleaning allows you to get rid of parasites that can kill all exotic insects. An important factor is the temperature in the terrarium. The optimal parameters are 25-29 °. When the thermometer is lowered to 23 °, mesh cockroaches become passive, eat little, stop breeding, nymphs develop longer. You can increase the temperature with an incandescent lamp with a small power.

Information. Cockroaches do not bite; they can be picked up without fear. But you should remember about sharp spikes on the limbs.

The second component of the microclimate in the home of insects is humidity. It is supported in the range of 50-70%. Archimandrites require a moist substrate, once every 2 days they spray it with warm water. Mesh cockroaches do not crawl along the vertical walls, but they cover the cage with a lid so that the litter does not dry out.

Food

Pet diets should include dry foods and juicy fruits. On an ongoing basis in the terrarium are oatmeal, bran.It is advisable to give a boiled egg, meat, cottage cheese regularly. These products are a source of protein, with its lack of insects actively bite each other. Food can not be left for a long time, after a few hours the leftovers are removed. An excellent source of protein is dry food for daphnia and gammarus fish.

Plant food is a must. Cockroaches love Peking cabbage, apples, grapes, bananas, carrots, greens. Dandelion leaves are washed well before feeding. Wet products are cleaned during the day so that mold does not appear. The drinker should be standing constantly, for the safety of the larvae, cotton wool or hydrogel is placed in it.

The contents of the cockroach archimandrite there are no secrets and special recommendations, such a pet is suitable for beginners. Observation of insects requires patience, they spend a lot of time in the substrate and other shelters.