Madagascar cockroach: biological features
At the moment, the exact number of species of Madagascar cockroaches is unknown, but it is believed that there are about 20 of them.
The Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) is one of the largest. Its body length is on average about 4-5 cm, but can reach 10 cm. The weight of a cockroach can reach 40 g.
The cockroach has a wide abdomen and a hard chitinous cover. These insects do not have wings.
The color of a cockroach can be different: from light red to dark black. The shade is affected by the age of the insect: the older it is, the lighter it is.
A distinctive feature of the Madagascar cockroach is the absence of wings, and at all stages of development. So they can't fly.
The lifespan of an insect can vary depending on its habitat. In the wild, a cockroach lives for about 1-1.5 years, while in captivity, with proper care, this exotic cockroach can live up to 5 years.
Madagascar cockroaches have pronounced dimorphism: the male has outgrowths on the front upper part of the chitinous cover, in addition, the female has a wider abdomen.
Often the male is also distinguished by the fact that his whiskers are damaged. The reason is that during the fight for a female, males break their mustache, and females usually have intact mustaches.
Conditions for keeping Cuban cockroaches
To keep insects, it is better to choose a spacious terrarium made of glass or plastic. A small number of cockroaches can be placed in a food container. The size of the cage should be selected in accordance with the number of inhabitants. The recommended size of the house for pets is 54x30x28 cm. In nature, cockroaches live in trees, so for a comfortable existence, they put pieces of bark and branches in their house. The bark of birch and other deciduous trees is best suited. Before placing in a container, wood must be disinfected, for example, with boiling water.
Insects are active, but cannot move along smooth walls. The container is covered with a net, otherwise the adults may fly out. The larvae need bedding in which to burrow. Sawdust or coconut chips will do. Don't use soil. After moistening, a crust forms on the surface, which can damage the chitinous shell of the larvae. Along with untreated soil, mites enter the insectarium and pose a danger to insects.
Insects prefer to hide during the daytime. To do this, they are given cardboard boxes. Favorable living conditions are +22-26C and 50-60% humidity. The required level of humidity is maintained by spraying.
The diet includes a large list of products:
- pumpkin;
- cucumbers;
- apples;
- cabbage;
- carrot;
- boiled meat and eggs.
The food should be varied and fresh. From dry products, insects are given rolled oats flakes, bread, and mixed feed. A bird waterer can be a source of water. A cockroach can drown in a container with water; to avoid this, put nylon or cotton wool in it. If there is a sufficient amount of juicy food, it is not necessary to install a drinking bowl.
The bedding is changed once a month to avoid the appearance of ticks. It is better to remove rotten food immediately to avoid unpleasant smell and midges.
Lifestyle of the Madagascar cockroach
This species, like others, is quite shy. During the daytime, insects hide in secluded corners, and at night they crawl out of their shelters and go in search of food.
The Madagascar hissing cockroach is large and has no venom, so it is often food for birds and animals.
When a potential threat appears, the cockroach sits motionless. But even if it is noticed, it is not so easy to grab the insect due to its smooth and slippery shell.
As a defense against enemies, the male makes a hissing sound similar to the hiss of a snake. This method is quite effective, since animals that hunt insects are usually small in size and sometimes become prey for snakes.
Madagascar cockroaches hiss using spiracles, organs located on the surface of their body. The hissing sound is produced due to the fact that the insect sharply contracts the lungs, and air escapes from them.
What harm does such a neighborhood cause to a person?
Desperate to defeat the red-haired invaders, people reassured themselves that, apart from the disgust of the view, they did not bring any other troubles with them. Unfortunately, it is not.
Due to the fact that their paths of movement pass through sewers, pipes, garbage chutes and other not very sterile premises, on their numerous paws and abdomens they bring various infections into a person’s home in the form of pathogenic bacteria, worm eggs, fungal spores and much more. .
Diseases from insects
Scientists have chosen a name for the harm cockroaches cause to human health - blattopterosis. This includes a number of diseases that arise due to forced proximity to these insects: allergies, asthma, dysentery, salmonellosis, mycobacteriosis, infection with helminths (worms) and even pneumonia and meningitis.
Cockroaches in the house can cause allergies or even asthma.
Do cockroaches bite?
Yes, one more detail worthy of fans of the horror style: these beetles bite and are capable of gnawing the skin above the lip and on the fingers. But bites are quite rare. In the absence of water, which they vitally need, these creatures do not disdain any means of obtaining it.
To avoid all these horrors, in a room infested with Prussians, you need to block their possibility of contact with food and water. To do this, store food in tightly closed containers without any restrictions. If you find a cockroach in a kitchen cabinet or refrigerator, immediately throw away all food in open packages.
Small benefits from insects
In the old days they were even proud of having cockroaches in the house. It was believed that this was a rich house in which there was something to profit from. True, then black individuals were bred in the houses of our ancestors. They did not cause disgust; on the contrary, they were even added to medicinal potions as a diuretic. They also bring benefits for indigestion: beetles were fried with garlic and this remedy was consumed. In Asia, beetles are still happily eaten fried, like seeds. They contain a lot of protein - why not nourish the body?
How do Madagascar cockroaches reproduce?
Males fight for the female and hiss at each other during the battle. If one male is tired and wants to give up, he rolls over on his back, admitting defeat.
The winning male then fertilizes the female. She can lay about 20-25 eggs at a time.
The female bears offspring in the ooteca located inside the abdomen. Periodically, the female pushes it out to air the eggs. The peculiarity of bearing offspring of the Madagascar cockroach differs from other species of the cockroach suborder, since in other representatives of the suborder the females shed the ooteca long before the appearance of the larvae.
The gestation period may vary, but on average it is about two months. The larvae hatch from eggs directly in the female's abdomen and crawl out along with the remains of the ootheca. Newborn nymphs weigh less than a gram and have a body length of about 3-4 mm.
After hatching, the larvae of the Madagascar cockroach eat the ootheca and gradually darken. Throughout their growth, the larvae do not leave their mother, who protects them from enemies with a loud hiss.
The nymph molts 6 times during its growth, gradually becoming darker. During the period of maturation, it increases in size, the chitinous layer becomes too small for the nymph and cracks, and a soft shell remains under it. After each molt, the nymph eats the old chitinous layer.
The duration of the nymph stage also varies and lasts about 6-12 months.
Reproduction
Reproduction of insects The reproduction of Madagascar cockroaches is also amazing. This species belongs to viviparous insects. A fertilized female lays eggs in a special genital sac - an ootheca, which can contain up to 30 eggs. Periodically, the female pushes the ootheca through the anus, ventilating the eggs in this way. As the embryos grow, the female's abdomen increases in size, a process that usually takes about 60 days. However, this period may vary depending on the ambient temperature: the lower they are, the longer the “pregnancy” lasts.
Is the Madagascar cockroach dangerous for humans?
Despite its terrifying appearance and impressive size, the Madagascar cockroach is harmless to humans.
Cockroaches do not bite people; they have no poison. Unlike red and black cockroaches, Madagascar cockroaches do not carry any diseases.
Breeding exotic cockroaches
Breeding exotics is considered a profitable business and is gaining great popularity. Madagascar cockroaches are of great interest to people; keeping them is not expensive, and providing comfortable conditions is not difficult.
For an inexperienced person, consultation is provided on how to care for insects, explanations are given, and important points are noted. The question is often asked whether they are dangerous to people and other animals. Definitely not, they do not pose any threat.
Individuals do not bite humans or other animals; males only bite each other in a fight for a female or lack of proper nutrition. In addition, it is important to determine what to feed the Madagascar cockroach at home; you should not give food that it does not eat. Madagascar cockroaches are invisible at home, but it is better to control the reproduction of females in order to get good offspring.
Madagascar hissing cockroach: keeping at home
Most people prefer to keep cats or dogs in the house. They have soft fur, you can pet such animals and lie next to them.
But there are also those who prefer to have more exotic pets, including snakes, spiders, lizards and even cockroaches.
Keeping cockroaches in the house has its advantages: they will not damage the furniture in the house, there is no smell from insects in the house, and guests may not notice them at all.
But Madagascar cockroaches are not always bred as pets; sometimes they are raised to later be used to feed other pets: snakes, lizards or spiders.
Madagascar cockroaches are food not only for animals, but also for people. In some countries they are considered a tasty delicacy and are eaten along with chicken and veal. In particular, cockroach is included in the menu of Thai cuisine.
The cockroach does not contain fat and is rich in protein; there is more of it in the insect than in chicken or veal.
Buying exotic insects is not a problem: Madagascar hissing cockroaches can be purchased at a bird market, in a pet store or in an online store.
In general, cockroaches are unpretentious creatures, but caring for them has its own characteristics.
Terrarium for Madagascar cockroaches
The choice of terrariums for cockroaches is huge, so you need to choose an option based on the number of insects, free space and personal preferences.
If you plan to have a couple of cockroaches, then a three-liter jar will be enough. For a small colony (30 pieces), a 20x30x40 cm terrarium is suitable. You can also use an aquarium and even a food container, but then you need to remember to make holes in it for air to enter.
The terrarium can be with or without a lid. In the first case, you need to make small holes for air, and in the second, lubricate the walls with Vaseline so that the nymphs of the Madagascar cockroach cannot escape. Adults will not be able to get out of the terrarium in any case, but young animals are able to move along vertical surfaces.
As mentioned earlier, the Madagascar cockroach is predominantly nocturnal, so the more hiding places there are in the terrarium, the better.
To decorate a terrarium, it is not necessary to buy special parts from pet stores; you can create a cozy home for exotic pets using scrap materials.
For example, egg trays are a popular option. They can be used to make “multi-story” houses with deep compartments where you can hide.
Another popular and affordable material is toilet paper rolls and other similar cardboard cylinders (paper towels, chips, etc.). They can be used to build tunnels through which cockroaches can move.
To decorate the terrarium, they also use wooden slabs, which are fastened parallel to each other, and the space between them is filled with fragments of pottery.
Insects love woody smells, so driftwood, pieces of bark or branches would be an excellent option for a terrarium with Madagascar cockroaches.
Bedding in a terrarium for Madagascar cockroaches
At the bottom of the terrarium you need to put a 3-4 cm layer of bedding. As already mentioned, cockroaches prefer the strong aroma of wood, so sawdust is perfect as bedding. It is recommended to mix them with sand.
It is better to use sawdust from deciduous trees; coniferous trees contain essential oils that are harmful to the health of cockroaches.
An easy way to get sawdust is to buy compressed sawdust cat litter. You can easily find this at any pet store.
You can also use granular rodent litter, coconut substrate, napkins, and cardboard.
The litter needs to be changed approximately every 3-4 weeks.
Temperature conditions in a terrarium with Madagascar cockroaches
For the exotic Madagascar cockroach, the optimal temperature is from +18°C to +30°C, otherwise it will not reproduce.
Air humidity in a terrarium with Madagascar cockroaches
The optimal humidity level is 65%. But maintaining such humidity is not so easy. Madagascar cockroaches will feel quite comfortable if you spray the walls and bedding with hot water from a regular spray bottle once a week. The water will evaporate and turn into a warm mist - these are excellent conditions for the insect.
But be careful, excess moisture will lead to rotting of the litter, and parasites may also appear in the terrarium.
Another simple option to create a suitable humidity level is to place jars of warm water. Their necks need to be wrapped with gauze so that cockroaches cannot get into the water, because if they get there, they will probably drown.
Drinking bowl for Madagascar cockroaches
In the wild, Madagascar hissing cockroaches obtain water from juicy fruits and also drink dew. In captivity they need to make a drinking bowl. To make it, you need to take a shallow tray, fill it with water, and put cotton wool on the bottom. Thanks to it, insects will not drown.
Another option for making a drinking bowl is to take a foam sponge or sponge and wet it. You need to make sure it is always wet.
What to feed Madagascar cockroaches?
This type of cockroach, like others, is omnivorous. In the wild, they prefer rotten fruits or leaves.
At home, you can feed them almost everything:
- bread;
- fresh vegetables (cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, celery, lettuce);
- fresh fruits (bananas, apples, pears);
- dandelion flowers and leaves;
- boiled porridge without salt (rolled oats, buckwheat);
- food for fish (daphnia).
Some believe that cockroaches need animal protein, so they feed them boiled meat, cottage cheese, eggs, and diet sausage.
It is not recommended to give food for cats and dogs to Madagascar cockroaches, as it may contain insecticides that are dangerous to insects.
There are cannibals among cockroaches, so make sure that the insects have enough food, and also change their diet periodically. In addition, cockroaches, like other living beings, have their own food preferences: they can eat some things quickly, but not others.
What to feed cockroaches
Madagascar cockroaches are unpretentious eaters. They eat almost everything, however, it is better to give your pets fruits and vegetables, and it is not even necessary to monitor the freshness of the products; the copper Magasgar cockroach is accustomed to eating everything. For the strength of the shell, it is also necessary to include calcium in the diet of cockroaches.
Cockroaches also need water. Equip the drinking bowl taking into account the size of the insect so that it does not drown. Any small lid with cotton wool moistened with water, which needs to be changed and moistened as necessary, is perfect as a drinking bowl.
When keeping Madagascar cockroaches, do not forget to regularly maintain cleanliness, change the contents of the insectarium and wash it every six months.
By following these simple rules, your exotic insects native to Madagascar will feel right at home.
