Advice needed

[Jared185]

Hi all,
So I'm new here and also newer to keeping insects(had spiders before) But anyway I was wanting to purchase or find a pretty Kool insect only problem is its winter so I'm not finding much. The reason for posting this is I'd like to setup a 5 gal aquarium and put a cool insect in it but I have no clue of what to get and I hope you all can help.
The things I'm looking for is:
1. Something I can handle
2. Preferably something that eats fruits and veggies as it's hard to find feeder insects this time of year.
3. Something that's active during the day
4. And finally something that has a lifespan of at least 10-12 months.

I was looking at a praying mantis but my pet store don't stock crickets and I don't want a container full of them in the house (my wife would die) since the last batch I had got knocked over and crickets went everywhere in the house lol. Also she's terrified of roaches so the big familiar looking ones she would die but some are not as recognizable as a roach would be ok. I've been keeping jumping spiders and love their curiosity and demeanor but the one I'd had for a while just passed away from natural causes so I'm going to wait till spring and collect another. But I was kind of looking for that personality or similar in an insect.thanks for any advice and responses

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

Most display roach species follow that list. I like to handle my hissing roaches. They are vegetarians and live a good while under proper care. They aren't too active during the day, but males will joust in the evening (sometimes)! If you are terrified of those however, I guess I would recommend darkling beetles. If your pet store sells super worms, they can be grown into large, interesting darklings. All you have to do is separate them at maturity and they will pupate individually. After a week or two you will have adult beetles. Hope that helps!

 

[Jared185]

Don't darkling beetles die in a month or two though. Also any roach species that you would recommend (a species that looks different than a house roach(different colors). Also I just went outside and found a ton of pill bugs the orange variant and the original grey are they a good interesting species. Also found a black widow but it's safe to say with two kids it's not going anywhere near my house. Also found a couple American millipedes but they are very small

 

[Tenevanica]

Don't darkling beetles die in a month or two though. Also any roach species that you would recommend (a species that looks different than a house roach(different colors). Also I just went outside and found a ton of pill bugs the orange variant and the original grey are they a good interesting species. Also found a black widow but it's safe to say with two kids it's not going anywhere near my house. Also found a couple American millipedes but they are very small

Darkling beetles live years at a time. Members of the genus Eleodes will live a decade. My all time favorite beetle is the blue death feigning beetle. It's the one that's cartooned on my profile picture. It is active during the day (though still hides occasionally) can be handled, is an herbivore, and is absolutely beautiful! Not to mention easy to care for! As for roaches that don't look like roaches, the genus Therea is what you'd be going for. These roaches look more like big lady beetles than roaches. Therea includes domino roaches, orange domino roaches, and question mark cockroaches. The adults of this genus are absolutely beautiful and are active during the day. The nymphs on the other hand are brown and hide in the substrate all day long. The nymphs can take over 2 years to mature, and they live another 2 years as adults. As with all roaches, they are herbivores, and are safe to handle.

Every insect that I talked about here can be purchased from bugsincyberspace.com. The website is amazing! I suggest you check it out!

 

[Hisserdude]

Well I was going to recommend either roaches or darkling beetles, but it looks like you guys beat me to it! Superworm beetles only live about 6 months, but the desert dwelling darklings, Eleodes, Asbolus, etc. usually live many years as adults.

As for roaches, Therea are nice, but I don't know if they are the best for handling, just because they can be a bit skittish. I would suggest one of the large Blaberids, Blaberus, Hemiblabera, Archimandrita, etc. Those are usually great for handling, and some are quite stunning! (B.craniifer for example).

 

[Tenevanica]

Well I was going to recommend either roaches or darkling beetles, but it looks like you guys beat me to it! Superworm beetles only live about 6 months, but the desert dwelling darklings, Eleodes, Asbolus, etc. usually live many years as adults.

As for roaches, Therea are nice, but I don't know if they are the best for handling, just because they can be a bit skittish. I would suggest one of the large Blaberids, Blaberus, Hemiblabera, Archimandrita, etc. Those are usually great for handling, and some are quite stunning! (B.craniifer for example).

Blaberids are good for beginners, but they look very much like the typical cockroach that comes to most people's minds. He asked for "roaches that don't look like roaches." While larger species are probably the best for handling the "smaller" species are very skittish and exhibit evasive maneuvers. I drop my B. craniifer every time I hold one because they just jump right off my hand lol!

 

[Hisserdude]

To me they don't look too much like the "normal roach", though I may have become too familiarized with all the different species to tell. B.craniifer especially look nothing like the "normal roach" imo, but apparently they are very skittish. Therea is a very good genus, so I would say go ahead and get some of those. Females aren't too skittish, the males however, are not that good for handling.

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

If by "familiar roach" you mean typical house pest roaches, then most of the species above are fine, because they generally get larger and are actually quite interesting to observe. If it's the way in which they move and the body shape that bother your wife, go with question marks or dominos. And as the others stated, death feigners and desert darklings are great and live a long time.

 

[truecreature]

Any millipede species would work for all but #3 in your list, which is kind of a crapshoot. The more you'd have in the tank the more likely it is that you'd see a few wandering around in the day.

 

[Tenevanica]

Any millipede species would work for all but #3 in your list, which is kind of a crapshoot. The more you'd have in the tank the more likely it is that you'd see a few wandering around in the day.

Millipedes aren't insects

 

[truecreature]

Well no but it's still an arthropod and might be worth a thought

 

[Czech prime]

How about jungle nymphs (heteropteryx dilatata)
They are amazing, you can handle them, they eat bramble and they live for up to 2 years. One of the largest insects out there too

 

[Jared185]

Thanks guys for input sounds like I'm going to go with a species of roach. I'll be getting it off bugsincyberspace. Also I have a bunch of sow bugs I'd like to put them in a aquarium as well but am wondering are they interesting to watch or boring and what kind of substrate do they need

 

[Tenevanica]

How about jungle nymphs (heteropteryx dilatata)
They are amazing, you can handle them, they eat bramble and they live for up to 2 years. One of the largest insects out there too

Unfortunately phasmids are banned in the United States. It's very sad actually.

 

[Tenevanica]

Thanks guys for input sounds like I'm going to go with a species of roach. I'll be getting it off bugsincyberspace. Also I have a bunch of sow bugs I'd like to put them in a aquarium as well but am wondering are they interesting to watch or boring and what kind of substrate do they need

Sow bugs are easy to keep in large cultures, but an aquarium with a standard lid would dry them out too much. Isopods require near 100% humidity all of the time. People who keep them keep them in plastic Sterilite containers with very few, if any, holes punched in the lid. They are very entertaining to watch IMO, but they do like to stay hidden. If you have enough of them, there is a good chance that a few will be where you can see them. As for substrate, they have to have organic rotting plant material such as leaves and wood from hardwood trees. The substrate should be deep as certain species (like Porcellio scaber) will bury in the substrate.

Here is another post that I made a while ago that might be of interest to you. It has to do with keeping isopods. http://arachnoboards.com/threads/anything-about-isopods.275770/

 

[TheHonestPirate]

I also agree, pet roaches are the best, I have "death's head roaches" that I raised from babies and it's quite rewards, they also grow quite fast. I'm actually going to be getting some more species, "RoachCrossing" offers some really good varieties, i'm lucky enough to have him located just 10 minutes from where I live.

 

[pannaking22]

Another vote for roaches, though I probably wouldn't go with Therea because the nymphs are always going to be underground and take a couple years to reach adulthood, though the adults are pretty spectacular and are day active. I personally like Gyna lurida. They're cheap, super easy to care for and grow quickly. The nymphs do burrow, but they swarm up whenever there's food and they reach adulthood in only a couple months. Adults can climb and fly and aren't super day active, but there are always at least a few out during the day in my enclosure.

 

[Czech prime]

Unfortunately phasmids are banned in the United States. It's very sad actually.

Really? Never knew that:/. Nevermind then

 

[Toxoderidae]

Jared, I'm Ghost_Keeper. You posted on the mantidforum aswell, yet it appears you don't seem to really have the care abilities for mantids, and with your fears and worries, it seems a lot of arthropods besides beetles/more ornate roaches you're kind of out of luck..

 

[Willuminati]

A female Orb Weaver maybe? Not a veggie but you can catch moths n such other insects for it.