Roach ID, it's huge!

[Moose9]

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.

 

[samatwwe]

haha thats odd, looks exactly like my Blaptica Fusca.

 

[calum]

definetly looks like Blaberus craniifer to me.

 

[Matt K]

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:

 

[Matt K]

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

 

[Moose9]

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.

 

[calum]

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)

 

[joshuai]

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.

 

[Matt K]

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.

 

[pinkfoot]

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.

 

[hasani1408]

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

 

[RoachGirlRen]

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.

 

[Matt K]

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....

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

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?

 

[Arachnobored]

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

 

[billopelma]

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

 

[xhexdx]

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.

 

[Matt K]

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.

 

[Moose9]

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.

 

[pinkfoot]

My bad.

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