Roach hybrids?

[Navaros]

Well, I got a colony of what was labeled as Blaptica dubia. I have already found a Eublaberus prosticus and some of the nymphs seem different looking to each other but I am assuming for the most part it is just because of instar, etc. I am assuming these 2 species can't reproduce, but does anyone know better? I was really hoping to keep my colonies clean. There was also a nymph of a lobster roach mixed in, as it caught me by surprise and flew up the glass. I really hope all these nymphs are of pure B. dubia, if some turn out to be another species I will weed them out as they mature. At the very least I got a free orange head. ;P

 

[Wade]

I don't have any expience with B. dubia, but from what I''ve seen on these boards, the nymphs are very different from those of E. prosticus. E. prosticus nymphs are a dark maroon and very glossy in appearance. I doubt that B. dubia would cross with such a different species.

I would assume hybrids would at least have to come from the same genus. Are there other Blaptica widespread in the hobby?

Wade

 

[Navaros]

Well, I figured the same thing. But you know how reliable the genusXgenus hybridization situation it. I meen, it seems roaches are pretty stable in taxonomy but then again look at Pantherophis and Lampropeltis. They are getting crossed all the time now. I did find a possible way of seperating them however..... B. dubia females look like large nymphs which made it a little confusing, but their small wings give them away as B. dubia as prosticus females have full wings like males. So all I need to do is raise them all up until the prosticus become adults and then seperate them. Now... I REALLY hope I am right in thinking that the guy I bought these from isn't breeding Eublaberus discoidales... that would make everything a lot more confusing. I definately wasn't pleased to find lobster nymphs in the cup though. They were SO close to escaping, although they really couldn't become a pest anyway... my mother would freak.