2/6/2023: The not-so-fragile fragile cockroach

Back in October I received the surprise of the month. After coveting them for several years, a contact reached out with pictures of the fragile cockroach, Euthlastoblatta abortiva, a drop-dead gorgeous ectobiioid roach from Texas. Being a skilled and cognizant collector, he snatched up many adults and sent the lion’s share to me, apparently confident in my ability to get them going.

Far from fragile, this species has been extremely hardy and longevous. As I type, many of the original adults (including males!) are still alive, which is mind blowing for such a small roach.

Though the nymphs are just now reaching their midpoint of growth, their true colors are starting to come in. I suspect they will be just as gorgeous as the other cultured Euthlastoblatta sp., with the adults’ stellar beauty and fortitude being the icing on the cake for this species.

A big thank you to the collector (I am unsure if he’d like to be named) for making this possible; this species should become very popular in culture over the next few years!

-Kyle