Robust Barrel Roach - Roach Crossing

Bantua robusta “Namibia”

Mixed nymphs: $10/each
Starter colony (12 mixed nymphs): $90

Detailed Species Stats -Click-

Adult Size: Male: 33 mm. Female: 30 mm.
Climbing Abilities: All life stages can climb.
Flying Abilities: Adult males can fly.
Mode of Birth: Ovoviviparous.
Care Level: Intermediate.
Temperature Requirements: 75-90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Air Humidity: Moist with good ventilation.
Substrate Humidity: Dry.
Favorite Foods: Not picky.
Locality: None.

Back in the mid 2000s when Roach Crossing wasn’t even a formative thought, the “Bantua robusta / African bullet roach” debacle was just being settled in the roach hobby. For a short time, cf. Neostylopyga propinqua had been traded as this species, despite clearly belonging to an entirely different family. Over 15 years later, the true Bantua robusta is finally available. Another endearing member of the subfamily Perisphaerinae, this species thrives with supplemental heat, good ventilation, and chunky substrate kept starkly half moist and half bone dry. Adults are quite the odd couple and without context it’s difficult to imagine them being the same species. Males are insanely slender with extremely long wings, and their difficulty scurrying around and general awkwardness has provided a few chuckles. Females are chunky, wingless, and barrel (or bullet) shaped, looking more like their relatives the roly-poly and magnificent roaches. Nymphs and adult females have a dusty appearance due to a feature of their cuticle, although females gradually lose this, becoming slick, shiny, and polished with age. Adult females are excellent for handling as they aren’t inclined to jump or bolt, and they even seem to find solace in the texture of human skin. The praises for this eccentric species cannot be sung loudly enough, and it is an excellent training species before venturing into Perisphaerus or Pseudoglomeris species.