7/29/2023: The mysterious Redlands surinams

The wilds of Florida conceal many secrets and it seems like every few months roach keepers gain access to yet another species not officially listed as established in Florida despite there being large breeding populations in the wild.

Upon visiting a papaya plantation in Redlands, Florida in 2021, under the accompaniment of roach/isopod keeper Carlos Michaelsen our group collected an odd Panchlora species as well as what could pass for normal Pycnoscelus surinamensis. Attempts to propagate the Pycnoscelus alone failed as they succumbed to a yeast-like infection. The chances of a second visit to collect more faded as the papaya grove was clear-cut, stripped, and redesigned for another crop.

However, I had collected nymphs to establish my Panchlora sp. “Redlands” colony, and due to their similarity a Pycnoscelus must have snuck in among them. I pulled this individual when I noticed it at adulthood, and it somehow did not succumb to the infection or simply did not carry it. Establishing this strain has taken a long time as they don’t seem as fecund as other strains. Adding to the uniqueness, the adults are very small (just over half the size of standard surinamensis strains) and extremely light colored.

A few roach folks have wondered if this could be a different parthenogenetic species, a unique mutant of surinamensis, maybe even an independently arisen parthenogenetic strain of indicus. Eventually when I have a few to spare they will be sent off for further examination, but for now I’m content to have a colony going.

-Kyle