Who says bugs aren’t pretty?

[jamest0o0]

Gyna centurio: these are the guys with the patchwork design, have an orangish/pink color the camera doesn’t pick up well.

Gyna caffrorum: the chrome roaches with the whitish/silver powdery colors below. Probably the most common of gyna genus roaches, but very beautiful IMO. Not too difficult to raise either.

Therea olegrandjeani: question mark roaches, these take anywhere from a under a year to two years to mature depending on conditions. One of my favorites. Fairly chill roaches, my toddlers pick them up sometimes. Also, when I moved them outside into my garage, for whatever reason more than I have ever seen just molted into adults at the same time. I usually only had a few adults at a time. So seeing a lot in the bin is pretty cool.

Armadillidiun Gestroi: the isopods with yellow spots. I got them a while back from my friend @snitz427. They’re pretty easy to raise and fairly large. They make an enticing chameleon snack!

Porcellio ornatus ‘high yellow chocolate’: probably the best isopod as a feeder. The morphs seem to breed a little slower than the regular yellow dotted ornatus. These get very large, only behind p hoffmanseggi and some of the other absolutely massive(and considerably more sensitive/slower breeding spanish isopods). They breed fast and eat more readily than any other isopod I’ve come across. I only have a few as they were just kept in a deli cup until recently. Funny story how I got these, someone sent me two babies with an order of the regular p ornatus about a year and a half ago. I lucked out and they were male and female. I got up to several adults, a few died, but now I have a bunch of babies in there. Only thing to be careful with these is ventilation and humidity, they die very easily when overwatered.



Overall, gyna and therea(@ERKleRose didn’t you get the orange dominos? Or am I mistaken?) are probably some of my favorite roaches along with the emerald roaches i plan to get someday when I have money lol. These are the only critters(other than 2 cats) that I have currently. I just couldn’t let these colonies go with how cool they look and how long it took me to build them.

I would like to pick up some giant canyon isopods and a roach species like ivory for composting at some point. We’ve recently got into gardening and landscaping and some species make excellent composters.

 

[rbrock]

I've seen some with nice patterns, but I don't know about pretty.

 

[ERKleRose]

I have them but they're still microscopic babies, no adults. I want emerald roaches so bad, too!

 

[ERKleRose]

And rubber ducky isopods, too! Though I think all cubaris are pretty!

 

[jamest0o0]

I have them but they're still microscopic babies, no adults. I want emerald roaches so bad, too!

Ahhhh therea can take so damn long, once they’re adults they lay so many ooths though. How are you keeping yours?

And rubber ducky isopods, too! Though I think all cubaris are pretty!

They are very cool. I’ve had to keep myself under control with isopods though. I can’t afford to have another obsession. Already have had enough bugs, plants, etc

 

[ERKleRose]

Ahhhh therea can take so damn long, once they’re adults they lay so many ooths though. How are you keeping yours?

I know, I can't wait! I'm keeping them the same as my question marks

They are very cool. I’ve had to keep myself under control with isopods though. I can’t afford to have another obsession. Already have had enough bugs, plants, etc

Same, my excuse is giving a rubber ducky terrarium to my mom since she thinks they're cute. Just waiting until she's ready to buy them. Hopefully they'll breed and I'll "have" to take some out!

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Nice to see you back.

 

[ERKleRose]

Nice to see you back.

Thanks (if you're talking to me)!

 

[MissSkittles]

What have I become?! Can’t believe I’m saying it, but I have to agree that those are some pretty bugs.

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

What have I become?! Can’t believe I’m saying it, but I have to agree that those are some pretty bugs.

Yes, yes the roaches will get you yet.

 

[snitz427]

Gyna centurio: these are the guys with the patchwork design, have an orangish/pink color the camera doesn’t pick up well.

Gyna caffrorum: the chrome roaches with the whitish/silver powdery colors below. Probably the most common of gyna genus roaches, but very beautiful IMO. Not too difficult to raise either.

Therea olegrandjeani: question mark roaches, these take anywhere from a under a year to two years to mature depending on conditions. One of my favorites. Fairly chill roaches, my toddlers pick them up sometimes. Also, when I moved them outside into my garage, for whatever reason more than I have ever seen just molted into adults at the same time. I usually only had a few adults at a time. So seeing a lot in the bin is pretty cool.

Armadillidiun Gestroi: the isopods with yellow spots. I got them a while back from my friend @snitz427. They’re pretty easy to raise and fairly large. They make an enticing chameleon snack!

Porcellio ornatus ‘high yellow chocolate’: probably the best isopod as a feeder. The morphs seem to breed a little slower than the regular yellow dotted ornatus. These get very large, only behind p hoffmanseggi and some of the other absolutely massive(and considerably more sensitive/slower breeding spanish isopods). They breed fast and eat more readily than any other isopod I’ve come across. I only have a few as they were just kept in a deli cup until recently. Funny story how I got these, someone sent me two babies with an order of the regular p ornatus about a year and a half ago. I lucked out and they were male and female. I got up to several adults, a few died, but now I have a bunch of babies in there. Only thing to be careful with these is ventilation and humidity, they die very easily when overwatered.



Overall, gyna and therea(@ERKleRose didn’t you get the orange dominos? Or am I mistaken?) are probably some of my favorite roaches along with the emerald roaches i plan to get someday when I have money lol. These are the only critters(other than 2 cats) that I have currently. I just couldn’t let these colonies go with how cool they look and how long it took me to build them.

I would like to pick up some giant canyon isopods and a roach species like ivory for composting at some point. We’ve recently got into gardening and landscaping and some species make excellent composters.

I’ve got you on the giant canyons when you’re ready… maybe fall with some plants too

 

[jamest0o0]

I’ve got you on the giant canyons when you’re ready… maybe fall with some plants too

Oh nice! Those things really take over too lol. Actually, I think I still have some packed away in my shed on cork bark in there. They survived our winter

 

[jamest0o0]

I know, I can't wait! I'm keeping them the same as my question marks

Same, my excuse is giving a rubber ducky terrarium to my mom since she thinks they're cute. Just waiting until she's ready to buy them. Hopefully they'll breed and I'll "have" to take some out!

When you have some orange dominos to sell off… you know who to message first right? I told myself i can’t get carried away with a ton of bugs, but those I’ll make an exception for.

Haha you’re lucky to have someone that likes critters so you can pull that one. I’m trying to raise my kids to appreciate all the weird critters so they can help me in my fight against the great oppressor(wife who prefers not to have reptiles/amphibians/bugs/fish/anything-that-is-far-from-human in every room of the house). I already had to stop them from trying to pet the “nice snake” that was hissing and snapping at them… so I must be doing good. We have a family of disgruntled garter snakes in our yard, nothing dangerous lol.

 

[jamest0o0]

Nice to see you back.

Thank you man, you too. what kind of stuff are you keeping these days?

 

[jamest0o0]

What have I become?! Can’t believe I’m saying it, but I have to agree that those are some pretty bugs.

Isn’t it something… I was there too once, afraid of roaches. Once you get past that from feeding them off, they become pretty cool. some species of cockroach are just so colorful and interesting and have such unique behavior for insects. Very intelligent critters.

I’m not even close to having another Cham yet, but I’m already getting carried away thinking of all the inverts I’ll keeps as pets/feeders lol.

 

[ERKleRose]

When you have some orange dominos to sell off… you know who to message first right? I told myself i can’t get carried away with a ton of bugs, but those I’ll make an exception for.

Haha you’re lucky to have someone that likes critters so you can pull that one. I’m trying to raise my kids to appreciate all the weird critters so they can help me in my fight against the great oppressor(wife who prefers not to have reptiles/amphibians/bugs/fish/anything-that-is-far-from-human in every room of the house). I already had to stop them from trying to pet the “nice snake” that was hissing and snapping at them… so I must be doing good. We have a family of disgruntled garter snakes in our yard, nothing dangerous lol.

Of course you're the first call! Your the one who got me into having roaches and bugs as pets and not just feeders!

Sadly she's the only one in my family and group of in-person friends who tolerates them, and rubber duckies, a few other types of isopods, and only a couple of roach species is all she likes. Hahaha, sounds like you're raising your kids right!

 

[MissSkittles]

I still won’t touch an adult discoid with bare hand, but I don’t mind the nymphs. I’ll admit that some roaches are quite pretty. I especially like the markings of the question marks. I think with all things, beauty is everywhere if you are open to appreciating it.

 

[jamest0o0]

I still won’t touch an adult discoid with bare hand, but I don’t mind the nymphs. I’ll admit that some roaches are quite pretty. I especially like the markings of the question marks. I think with all things, beauty is everywhere if you are open to appreciating it.

I couldn’t agree more. Wasn’t always like that, but I honestly feel my weird respect for cockroaches over the years got me to open my mind a bit

 

[kinyonga]

I still won’t touch an adult discoid with bare hand, but I don’t mind the nymphs. I’ll admit that some roaches are quite pretty. I especially like the markings of the question marks. I think with all things, beauty is everywhere if you are open to appreciating it.

Be careful...if you keep going down this "road" to thinking insects are pretty, you might not be able to feed them to the critters!

 

[jamest0o0]

Be careful...if you keep going down this "road" to thinking insects are pretty, you might not be able to feed them to the critters!

I was getting to that point. I figure it’s probably no worse of a death than they’d normally have though and with the plus of their life being much better.