Black Velvet Roach - Roach Crossing

Deropeltis sp. “Masai Mara”

Mixed nymphs: $10/each ( Contact for Availability )
Starter colony (12 mixed nymphs): $100 ( Contact for Availability )

Detailed Species Stats -Click-

- Adult Size: Male: X mm. Female: X mm.

- Climbing Abilities: All life stages can climb.

- Flying Abilities: Adult males may be able to fly.

- Mode of Birth: Oviparous.

- Care Level: Intermediate.

- Temperature Requirements: 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Air Humidity: Moist with good ventilation.

- Substrate Humidity: Dry.

- Favorite Foods: Not picky.

Locality: The Mara, Narok, Kenya.

Few roaches rival the fuzzy goodness of a female black velvet roach. The nymphs are considerably fuzzy as well, sporting a thin coat of barely visible orange-ish fur. Groups of adults and nymphs will cluster together, presumably as a means of enhancing the intimidation factor of their already hefty quinone-based chemical defenses to potential predators. I once tried to feed a nymph to a fire-bellied toad; he spat it out faster than he caught it. Although the original line from Jinka, Ethiopia has been lost in culture, this strain from Kenya has been introduced and is doing very well. The two strains appear to have been the same species (hence the placeholder image), but an exact determination is still needed.