Gold Medal Roach - Roach Crossing

Rhyparobia cf. capelloi

Mixed nymphs: $5/each
Starter colony (12 mixed nymphs): $50

Detailed Species Stats -Click-

- Adult Size: Male: 40 mm. Female: 45 mm.

- Climbing Abilities: All life stages can climb.

- Flying Abilities: Adults of both sexes may be able to fly.

- Mode of Birth: Ovoviviparous.

- Care Level: Easy.

- Temperature Requirements: 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Air Humidity: Dry.

- Substrate Humidity: Dry.

- Favorite Foods: Not picky.

Locality: None.

The adaptive defenses that some organisms have developed are quite amazing. Some millipedes produce cyanide, bombardier beetles combine combustible chemicals to coat their attackers in burning liquid… And then there’s the gold medal roach. I feel sorry for any predator that attempts to eat this roach in the wild, as it must truly be an arduous task. The first sign that the roach is not pleased with you is a whiney squeak created by rubbing the pronotum and metanotum together. If this does not deter you, the roach will discharge a distasteful defensive odor, reminiscent of the smell of old cigarettes. If you continue to pester the roach, the last line of defense should get you to drop it; the final counter-attack is a slurry of oozing poop, ejected from the abdomen and then smeared on the attacker by the roach’s scurrying rear legs. Regardless of this grotesque spectacle, this species of Rhyparobia does have several redeeming qualities. The adults are good parents, with babies and young nymphs clustering near them and occasionally dragging food over for them. At night, individuals court or communicate by thumping their abdomens on solid cage objects, like a little acoustic concert. For daytime viewing pleasure, a slab of bark can be leaned against the enclosure wall, and the brilliant yellow nymphs and golden adults will cluster under it.