Rhino cockroach - giant in your terrarium

In Australia, the largest representative of the Blaberidae family is the rhino cockroach. An insect with a body length of 8 cm reaches a record weight of 35 g. The giant lives in leaf litter, in food prefers eucalyptus. The cockroach is known for its ability to dig burrows up to 1 m deep. A rare species is popular among lovers of exotic insects.

Appearance and habitat

A rhinoceros or giant burrowing cockroach is a real giant in the world of insects. Its all (35 g) is comparable to the mass of a sparrow. Species Macropanesthia rhinoceros belongs to the family of giant cockroaches Blaberidae. The body length is 8 cm, the shape is oval, convex. The wings are completely atrophied. Sexual dimorphism is not noticeable, the male is distinguished by a scoop-shaped notch located on the pronotum. The head is brown, movable. Easily hides under a chitin shield.

The organs of vision are two complex facet eyes located on the sides of the head. The antennae are responsible for touch and smell. Antennas are thin, multi-segmented, inferior in length to the body. The oral apparatus is pointing down. The color of the imago is brown with a burgundy tint, the pronotum and the last segments of the abdomen are darker than the rest of the body. The cover is brilliant, the insect looks like a bug. The abdomen is wide and flattened, spiracles are located on the sides. The limbs are massive. The paws are covered with many spikes. This structure makes it easy to dig the soil.

Information. The organs of touch are not only the antennae of the insect, there are sensitive hairs on the lips and maxilla.

Giants hail from the northeast coast of Australia. They live in the rainforests of Queensland.

Lifestyle

Insects live in deciduous litter under the trees. Most of the time they dig tunnels, for which they received a middle name a giant digging cockroach. Burrows reach a depth of 1 meter. Favorite food is fallen eucalyptus leaves. Activity on the surface is shown in the dark. After sunset, the sweltering heat subsides. The insect plays a significant role in the ecosystem by utilizing dead leaves.

Information. Rhinoceros cockroach Macropanesthia rhinoceros is a long-liver among its relatives, in nature there are individuals aged 10 years.

Breeding

Cockroaches belong to the group of insects with incomplete transformation. After emergence from the eggs, the larvae look similar to a miniature sized imago. Nymphs have fewer antenna segments and no genitals. Female rhinoceros are ovoviviparous. After fertilization, the eggs fall into a special capsule ooteca. Until the offspring has fully matured, it is in the body of the mother. 30 larvae appear at a time. They are helpless enough, grow slowly. The first 9 months are spent near the mother. Together with an adult female, they live in tunnels and eat plant foods.

Before puberty, an Australian digging cockroach takes 3-4 years. During this period, it molts at least 12 times. After dropping close chitinous cover, the nymph appears completely white (except for the eyes). Her body is soft and defenseless. During this period, it increases in size. During the day, the insect darkens and becomes covered with a new shiny shell. Old skin is eaten, it is a valuable source of protein.

Captivity

Despite the awesome appearance, the Australian native is completely harmless. He does not bite, does not release an unpleasant smell at the moment of danger. Rhinoceros cockroaches can be released for a walk, picked up. They calmly carry attention, do not break out. Appearance, large size and flexible character make the insect an ideal exotic pet. They are popular in many countries, but in Russia the number of digging cockroaches in home collections is limited. There are several reasons:

• the high cost of a pair of adults;
• long period of growing up;
• slow reproduction;
• exactingness to the conditions of detention.

For keeping, a horizontal terrarium with parameters of 30x30x30 cm is suitable. There should be ventilation holes in the plastic walls. The top is covered with a lid. It is necessary to maintain high humidity - 60-80%. Every two days, the litter is sprayed with warm water.

Digging cockroaches need a layer of substrate of at least 5 cm. It is made up of garden soil and coke fibers, peat and sand can be added. Pets will be comfortable at a temperature of 24-28 °. It is not recommended to get into the cage of sunlight. The house is decorated with bark and branches, but this is not necessary. A great option to pour dry leaves of oak, birch. They are pre-treated with steam. This litter serves simultaneously as food. In addition to leaves, insects give vegetables and fruits, dry gammarus. A rhino cockroach is an ideal pet, friendly and calm.