2/20/2023: Blaberus atropos “Shinigami” debut

As a chronic perfectionist I have the habit of holding onto linebreeding projects until things are… well, perfect. Sometimes I over correct for issues caused by lapses in husbandry or poor pairing results, and this alone can set projects back for years.

After what may be a decade of work, one of my longest-term projects is entering its final phase. Dubbed “Shinigami”, this polymorphic roach breeding project will either reach my ultimate intended goal within a few generations, or I will be forced to call it quits on the goal phenotype and accept the near-end result as it is.

Since the discovery of atropos (or ridiculously similar to atropos-like or atropos-influenced entity) in Florida, its variable phenotype has tantalized me. If there is heritability to a variation, it can be selected for and potentially amplified, as I have done here. I have envisioned a strain with solid black pronota, and have been working towards that goal since.

I have lost track of the generations of selection, but this project has had a very rocky road. I have at least once lost all of one sex of the line for various silly reasons and had to select appropriate mates from my colonies to perpetuate it. Circa 2021 I had enough of this and finally devoted proper space and resources to generating the numbers I needed for quality selections, and that is now evident in how far the line has come in that time.

Whether this project will be released in late 2023 or 2024, I do not know. What I can say is I finally content with the pace of the project and the results speak for themselves.

-Kyle