# What's wrong with my roaches?



## InvertsandOi (Nov 20, 2016)

I have a colony of Schultesia lampyrydiformis (firefly roaches) that has recently gotten quite numerous. a few weeks ago I noticed a roach with deformed wings, then another, then another. I haven't really given it too much thought. Just chocked it up to a bad final molt. I figured it's just something that's bound to happen once in a while. There does seem to be a higher percentage of individuals effected as time goes on, though. I know that winged roaches should have vertical surfaces to molt on. I have plenty of egg carton in there laying down and standing up. plus these guys are glass climbers so I figure there's plenty of vertical space if you include the sides of the container. But today I saw this poor thing.
	

		
			
		

		
	



It's wing appears to have an open wound on it. Is this some kind of parasite or fungus? Genetic disorder? Anybody seen this before? what should I do? Also, I've been using them as feeders for my Damon diadema lately (not any effected ones though). Can this spread to my ambly? Any help will be much appreciated. I hope this photo is good enough. I don't own a very good camera.


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## Hisserdude (Nov 21, 2016)

This is what a lot of adult roaches look like in a large colony of roaches, when conditions get too crowded a lot of adults get chewed up or aren't able to spread their wings correctly right after molting. 

I'd keep conditions a little more moist, feed them more food, and most importantly, add more hides or upgrade the enclosure size. 

When your colony gets big enough you are bound to find plenty of banged up adults, I don't think there's a single adult in my Pycnoscelus surinamensis colony that has perfect wings, they have all been chewed on a little by their cage mates. So don't feel too bad about it.

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## InvertsandOi (Nov 21, 2016)

Hisserdude said:


> This is what a lot of adult roaches look like in a large colony of roaches, when conditions get too crowded a lot of adults get chewed up or aren't able to spread their wings correctly right after molting.
> 
> I'd keep conditions a little more moist, feed them more food, and most importantly, add more hides or upgrade the enclosure size.
> 
> When your colony gets big enough you are bound to find plenty of banged up adults, I don't think there's a single adult in my Pycnoscelus surinamensis colony that has perfect wings, they have all been chewed on a little by their cage mates. So don't feel too bad about it.


Thank you! I'm glad it's not anything too serious. This is my first colony to get this crowded. I've heard of roaches chewing on eachother's wings, but I thought that was just the more aggressive species. I would've expected it from my Simandoa conserfariam. Come to think of it though, these S. lampyrydiformis are extremely active. I've just never really witnessed them being aggressive unless they're trying to mate.

Anyway, I hardly ever let them run out of food. I could keep it more moist, but these guys seem to prefer it a little on the dry side. It looks like I'm going to have to get a bigger enclosure. This is going to be difficult, haha. The nymphs are the size of fruit flies.

Thanks again @Hisserdude I was really stressing about this.

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## ErinM31 (Nov 21, 2016)

Nick H said:


> Anyway, I hardly ever let them run out of food. I could keep it more moist, but these guys seem to prefer it a little on the dry side. It looks like I'm going to have to get a bigger enclosure. This is going to be difficult, haha. The nymphs are the size of fruit flies.


Perhaps you could gradually rehouse them? You could just move the adults and larger nymphs to the new enclosure -- then everyone has more space and you can transfer the other nymphs when they are larger. If you don't have space to maintain two enclosures for a while, you could transfer EVERYTHING to the larger enclosure -- substrate included. I've done this in whole or part when I've had small nymphs.

I would also recommend that you remove deformed adults from your colony, so long as you have healthy ones. You'll want to keep the colony a manageable size and just in case genetics contributed to their deformity and anyway, it makes more sense than culling roaches at random.

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## Hisserdude (Nov 21, 2016)

Nick H said:


> Thank you! I'm glad it's not anything too serious. This is my first colony to get this crowded. I've heard of roaches chewing on eachother's wings, but I thought that was just the more aggressive species. I would've expected it from my Simandoa conserfariam. Come to think of it though, these S. lampyrydiformis are extremely active. I've just never really witnessed them being aggressive unless they're trying to mate.
> 
> Anyway, I hardly ever let them run out of food. I could keep it more moist, but these guys seem to prefer it a little on the dry side. It looks like I'm going to have to get a bigger enclosure. This is going to be difficult, haha. The nymphs are the size of fruit flies.
> 
> Thanks again @Hisserdude I was really stressing about this.


Yeah, I have similar problems with my Rhabdoblatta colony, sometimes lots of adults will pop up with really messed up, crumpled wings like yours. Then I add some more hides and less of them have that problem.

If there is room in the enclosure then you can just add some more hides, that's what I do when I experience problems like this in my colonies. If they really have filled up the enclosure though, then it's probably time for a upgrade. I'd try what @ErinM31 said and just dump everything in the new enclosure, substrate and all, would be a lot easier than trying to sift through the substrate for tiny nymphs lol!

Glad I could help, and I hope they do well for you! 



ErinM31 said:


> I would also recommend that you remove deformed adults from your colony, so long as you have healthy ones. You'll want to keep the colony a manageable size and just in case genetics contributed to their deformity and anyway, it makes more sense than culling roaches at random.


I doubt these adults are deformed due to genetics, overcrowding is likely the issue here, so while I'd still recommend feeding these off rather than feeding off healthy adults, any offspring these guys create will be normal, though if conditions get crowded they can still have bad molts and get deformed wings.

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## InvertsandOi (Nov 21, 2016)

There is plenty of room for more hides. Looks like I'm eating lots of eggs for breakfast, haha. I can borrow some from the hissers too, since they tend to just congregate on one or two of them anyway. I'll start picking out the deformed ones for feeders too. Thanks guys.


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