So many roaches.. Can't choose.. Please help!

OveroMare

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 12, 2016
Messages
10
I haven't kept inverts for YEARS however, I remember keeping hissers as a child and would like to get my son (turning 9) one (or a few haha) for his birthday. He inherited my love of inverts and is crazy about them.

Here is my dilemma:
I initially wanted to get him the every day common G. portentosa, but looking them up led me to all of the different species now being kept and sold in the hobby. There are so many that I love, I keep changing my mind on what to get.

I want something that is easy and straightforward to care for. Something that is hardy and is easily handled and tolerates it well. What species should I go with? Where is the best place to buy them?

Sorry for the essay. Any and all info will be greatly appreciated!
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
Messages
4,226
Just in the hisser world there's quite a bit of variety. If you don't want the standard G. portentosa, you can go with Aeluropoda insignis or Elliptorhina javanica. If you want something else, Archimandrita tesselata is an awesome and easy roach to keep. The various Blaberus are pretty good too. If you want something smaller, Gyna lurida and G. caffrorum are flashy and easy to keep as well, though the adults can fly. There's nothing quite like feeding them though and watching all the nymphs swarm to the surface, followed a minute or two later by the adults. You can also get a good variety in color in G. lurida, from the normal pinkish to white, yellow, almost purple, and plenty of other colors in between.

In terms of sellers, you have plenty of choices from Roach Crossing or Bugs in Cyberspace. If you want Gyna, shoot me a PM and I can send you some. I have so many nymphs right now I'd really like to slim down the colonies a bit.
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
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Nov 25, 2011
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Sorry, just re-read and realized you want something you can handle. Gyna is definitely out then unless you just want to handle nymphs. The other species I listed though should be good for handling, especially the hissers and A. tesselata.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
Just in the hisser world there's quite a bit of variety. If you don't want the standard G. portentosa, you can go with Aeluropoda insignis or Elliptorhina javanica. If you want something else, Archimandrita tesselata is an awesome and easy roach to keep. The various Blaberus are pretty good too. If you want something smaller, Gyna lurida and G. caffrorum are flashy and easy to keep as well, though the adults can fly. There's nothing quite like feeding them though and watching all the nymphs swarm to the surface, followed a minute or two later by the adults. You can also get a good variety in color in G. lurida, from the normal pinkish to white, yellow, almost purple, and plenty of other colors in between.

In terms of sellers, you have plenty of choices from Roach Crossing or Bugs in Cyberspace. If you want Gyna, shoot me a PM and I can send you some. I have so many nymphs right now I'd really like to slim down the colonies a bit.
You know, I love the use of Italian words/terms when it comes to the bugs world.

Lurida, in Italian, means a she (imagine a Lady that don't wash her under parts, for instance... Christ!) or something (a room, etc) incredibly filthy, dirt etc lol :-s
 

All About Arthropods

Arachnoknight
Joined
Dec 11, 2016
Messages
181
I haven't kept inverts for YEARS however, I remember keeping hissers as a child and would like to get my son (turning 9) one (or a few haha) for his birthday. He inherited my love of inverts and is crazy about them.

Here is my dilemma:
I initially wanted to get him the every day common G. portentosa, but looking them up led me to all of the different species now being kept and sold in the hobby. There are so many that I love, I keep changing my mind on what to get.

I want something that is easy and straightforward to care for. Something that is hardy and is easily handled and tolerates it well. What species should I go with? Where is the best place to buy them?

Sorry for the essay. Any and all info will be greatly appreciated!
Pretty much all the hisser species are simple to care(except E.davidi) for and handle well. It depends, if you're looking for color, go with Gromphadorhina grandidieri or Elliptorhina javanica, if you're looking for sheer size, go with Gromphadorhina oblongonota, or if you're looking for an oddball, go with Aeluropoda insignis. There are a few good sites, but I'd recommend either Bugsincyberspace.com since its a reliable classic, or Roachcrossing.com since they have a much wider selection to choose from.
 

OveroMare

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 12, 2016
Messages
10
Thank you for all the info!

No, definitely dont want any Gyna. With the way my son loves handling, they would be loose in the house in no time. The thought of checking each crevice in every log of my home for tiny roaches isn't a fun one lol.

I am very fond of Hissers. The G. grandidieri are beautiful. Those are at the top of my list for now. Ughhh deciding on just one is hard. I imagine after my son's roach arrives I will start keeping them for myself again.
 

Jacob Ma

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 2, 2016
Messages
281
You could also consider Lucihormetica verrucosa or L. subcincta, for their nymphs and adults are both very docile and handle-able, almost like smaller and arguably more unusually patterned G. portentosa. They also cannot climb plastic but have a firm grip, and also construct reusable tunnels for their underground colonies.
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
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Nov 25, 2011
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Fortunately Gyna won't live all that long outside their enclosure, but I agree, definitely best to avoid the hassle! Heck, my adults get out from time to time and I know what's coming lol.

Lucihormetica is a great genus to keep, but they tend to be pretty slow growing and won't be all that visible unless you're digging them up or checking underneath enclosure decorations all the time. Other than that they're unique among roaches.
 

Hisserdude

Arachnoking
Joined
Apr 18, 2015
Messages
2,453
Hemiblabera tenebricosa are nice for handling too, however they do burrow a lot. Same with Polyphaga saussurei, the older nymphs and adults are amazing for handling, they are so calm, but they spend all their time underground, so you gotta dig a little to find them.

I think hissers would be your best choice here, I first started out keeping a few male hissers of different species, they are all pretty easy to care for and the larger species are good for handling, I find that Elliptorhina are a bit more skittish though.
 

socalqueen

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jan 16, 2017
Messages
221
I absolutely love my hissers and have domino roaches arriving hopefully next week. I've found that roaches are easy to care for, and it's been a rewarding experience for me. Good luck!!!
 

OveroMare

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 12, 2016
Messages
10
Thank you Hisserdude. Very good to know!

I have decided on G. grandidieri... For now lol. Just need to find some.

Let me know how you like your Domino's socalqueen! They sure are gorgeous.
 

Hisserdude

Arachnoking
Joined
Apr 18, 2015
Messages
2,453
Thank you Hisserdude. Very good to know!

I have decided on G. grandidieri... For now lol. Just need to find some.

Let me know how you like your Domino's socalqueen! They sure are gorgeous.
No problem, and I think you can buy G.grandidieri at Roachcrossing.com. :)
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
Messages
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Dominos are really slow growing, but very rewarding to keep. There's something magical about looking into the enclosure one day and seeing an adult running around on the surface. It takes patience to keep these guys, but they're definitely worth it.
 

socalqueen

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jan 16, 2017
Messages
221
Thank you Hisserdude. Very good to know!

I have decided on G. grandidieri... For now lol. Just need to find some.

Let me know how you like your Domino's socalqueen! They sure are gorgeous.
I sure will! I'm super excited to have them arrive, have the enclosure all set up and ready for them. I saw some Dominos and Question Marks at a reptile
Show in January and haven't stopped thinking about them, so when it came time to add to my collection I was ecstatic that Bugs in Cyber Space had Dominos in stock. Question Marks are next. Keep us posted on your new additions!!
 

UltimateDracoMeteor

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 26, 2016
Messages
95
I haven't kept inverts for YEARS however, I remember keeping hissers as a child and would like to get my son (turning 9) one (or a few haha) for his birthday. He inherited my love of inverts and is crazy about them.

Here is my dilemma:
I initially wanted to get him the every day common G. portentosa, but looking them up led me to all of the different species now being kept and sold in the hobby. There are so many that I love, I keep changing my mind on what to get.

I want something that is easy and straightforward to care for. Something that is hardy and is easily handled and tolerates it well. What species should I go with? Where is the best place to buy them?

Sorry for the essay. Any and all info will be greatly appreciated!
If you want a really pretty and huge hisser, G. oblongonota is good. It isn't quite as colorful as a standard hisser, but it has a beautiful red tint and a cool looking white and black underside, and they grow up to 4.25 inches! A. tesselata is also a great roach for handling and it's wider than hissers, but a bit shorter than a G. oblongonota.
 

OveroMare

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 12, 2016
Messages
10
I definitely will if I can find any haha! So far Peter and Cape Cod are both out of stock. Hoping Kyle will get back with me soon and tell me that he has some.

I have definitely considered G. oblongonota. I love their size and I'm positive my son would too. As it stands right now, I may have to start seriously considering either those, E. javanica, or even G. portentosa.
 
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