# Roach ID, it's huge!



## Moose9 (Jun 13, 2009)

Can someone please ID the roach in the photo below? I found 2 of them in my B. dubia collection. I know there not adult male dubia. They are a good 3". They just winged out in the last week. I know this cause there were 2 very large, extra wide nymphs that looked odd. Thanks in advance, Greg.


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## samatwwe (Jun 13, 2009)

haha thats odd, looks exactly like my Blaptica Fusca.


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## calum (Jun 13, 2009)

definetly looks like _Blaberus craniifer_ to me.


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## Matt K (Jun 13, 2009)

_*Blaberus fusca*_ or a fusca hybrid. 

Definately not _Blaberus craniifer_, as B. craniifer are black.  Though it is a common mistake in parts of Europe to call them craniifer.

This is what Blaberus craniifer looks like:


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## Matt K (Jun 13, 2009)

Here are some photos to help discern a few common species other than B. fusca:


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## Moose9 (Jun 14, 2009)

Thanks for the quick ID. I separated them from my B. dubia, put them in there own container. They appear to be a male and female. Will see what happens. Should have a small colony in about a year.


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## calum (Jun 14, 2009)

ah, ok then. I don't really use colour when ID'ing soemthing as it seems to differ alot depending on where the speciemen is collected or such. (well, this is the case in scorpions at least)


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## joshuai (Jun 14, 2009)

calum said:


> ah, ok then. I don't really use colour when ID'ing soemthing as it seems to differ alot depending on where the speciemen is collected or such. (well, this is the case in scorpions at least)


Not with B cranniffer the tru ones always have black wings i have a colony my self.


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## Matt K (Jun 14, 2009)

Calum does make a good point though.  I have certainly seen with scorpions how individuals of the same species can have dramatically different coloration.  This seems true with some centipedes as well.


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## pinkfoot (Jun 15, 2009)

Moose9 said:


> Thanks for the quick ID. I separated them from my B. dubia, put them in there own container. They appear to be a male and female. Will see what happens. Should have a small colony in about a year.


Moose, if they both have those wings you have a gay couple... only way they'll start a colony is to adopt.


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## hasani1408 (Jun 15, 2009)

looks like  Blaberus giganteus to me. I will double check the pics when I get to work. but I'm %95 sure.


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## RoachGirlRen (Jun 15, 2009)

pinkfoot said:


> Moose, if they both have those wings you have a gay couple... only way they'll start a colony is to adopt.


Nope; the presence or absence of wings are not a reliable way to sex all (or even most) roach species. Blaberus giganteus, Blaberus fusca, and many other related species display wings in both sexes. The best way to sex most common roach species at any life stage is ventrally via the last body segment.

Anyways, my money is on B. giganteus or B. fusca.


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## Matt K (Jun 15, 2009)

Considering the size of the roach in comparison to the bottom of the cup its in and the fingers holding the cup in the background I think its too small for B.giganteus, so B.fusca is my vote.  Additionally the wing/abdomen proportions and the pronotum spot give the same impression to me compared to my colonies of either one....


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## Elytra and Antenna (Jun 15, 2009)

Might be a slightly beat up discoidalis male. I'm 99% sure it's not B. giganteus. Did you ask the guy you got the dubia from?


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## Arachnobored (Jun 16, 2009)

RoachGirlRen said:


> Nope; the presence or absence of wings are not a reliable way to sex all (or even most) roach species. Blaberus giganteus, Blaberus fusca, and many other related species display wings in both sexes. The best way to sex most common roach species at any life stage is ventrally via the last body segment.
> 
> Anyways, my money is on B. giganteus or B. fusca.


Actually, in adult B. fusca it is 100% reliable. The adult females are not even remotely similar. 







Credit to James @ blaberus.com


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## billopelma (Jun 16, 2009)

> Actually, in adult B. fusca it is 100% reliable. The adult females are not even remotely similar.


As far as I know, in all Blaberus sp. the males and females have full wings and are similar dorsally. That picture of the fusca is of an adult and two nymphs. You may be thinking of Blaptica dubia, where there is obvious dimorphism...


Bill


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## xhexdx (Jun 16, 2009)

billopelma said:


> As far as I know, in all Blaberus sp. the males and females have full wings and are similar dorsally. That picture of the fusca is of an adult and two nymphs. You may be thinking of Blaptica dubia, where there is obvious dimorphism...
> 
> 
> Bill



I'm pretty sure this is correct.  I'll go check my colony later.


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## Matt K (Jun 16, 2009)

ALL species of Blaberus, even B. fusca, have full wings for males AND females and are very similar in overall appearance.  There are no exceptions to this.  They are not like Blaptica dubia where females have vestigial wings and males have full wings.

This is a fact.


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## Moose9 (Jun 16, 2009)

I measured the one in the cup and it is 2¾". The one in the cup has a thinner body structure than the other. I will get a photo of there undersides to show the last abdominal segment so we can try to determin there sex. If I looked at the last abdominal segments correctly, than they should be m/f.


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## pinkfoot (Jun 16, 2009)

My bad. 

I started this confusion with my little joke - apologies! :8o


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## whitewolf (Jun 16, 2009)

I think I got something that looks like that in my colony. Just thought maybe it was a funny looking Dubia. Checked mine their dark almost black with wings.


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## evicton (Jun 23, 2009)

Lol I have one very cream colored one in my dubia colony I been meaning to find out what it is, aparantly a tag along from the shipment though I don't believe I seen it before last week lol. One white among all the dubia would seem like it would be hard to miss though lol. Still a small nymph.


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## bigdog999 (Jun 23, 2009)

eviction, that sounds like a freshly moulted roach


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## Moose9 (Jun 24, 2009)

Well I am sure now there male and female. Saw them together a couple nights ago. It would be great if they produce. I can always use another feeder. My dragons, t's and monitor love the big ones.


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