Giant Lobster Cockroaches - Henschoutedenia flexivitta
Disclaimer: I can only attest to how the species I keep respond under the conditions I keep them. Even the best care under a certain set of parameters may be met with failure under others.
For any questions or to mention anything I have wrong or have missed, email me at rockinroachesandmore@gmail.com!
Summary
The Giant Lobster roach is, interestingly, named thus after its appearance, which is very similar (though larger) than a completely unrelated species of roach. It is also possibly the only roach I would suggest to nobody, under any circumstance. I have found this information nowhere else on the Internet, but they smell awful. Most of the time, roaches are an admirably clean insect, nothing like the stench of crickets or dermestids. Not this one, oh no. The Giant Lobster roach smells so dreadful, one colony in a 10-gallon tank made my entire animal room reek. I had to banish them to the basement - hoping the cooler temperatures would slow down the smell, or at least, slow down the breeding - for my own sanity, and that of all the other inhabitants of my household. Not only does the roach passively smell, it has the delightful habit of pooping when handled. The aroma, as you can imagine, is worse than their usual. The smell alone makes it useless as a feeder, but moreover, it has the audacity to squeak sadly if fed to something. Even with all the offenses it gives, the Giant Lobster roach is too completely pitiful to even feed to another bug. If you can handle the smell (which is mostly gone at ~67°F, fortunately) and can live with yourself after handing it off to a tarantula, it is a very pretty roach, with a complicated pattern and a rainbow sheen to the nymphs under the right light. It's no wonder the people I bought them from initially said exactly nothing about the smell: nobody in their right mind would buy any ever again, if they did.
Feeding
All my roaches are fed the same, but a colony of Giant Lobsters will eat as much as a similarly sized colony of Six-Spotted roaches at 80°F. This is the only species I have experience with at other temperatures, however, and their activity - and thus, feeding response - is markedly reduced at room temperature. Mine do well on a steady diet of oranges, apples, and cut-up whole carrots, though they often as not leave the carrots in favor of the fruit. I have also successfully fed them watermelon and grapes. This is the only species I keep that will occasionally eat a strawberry, if offered. In addition to a diet composed predominantly of fruits and vegetables, they require some form of protein, given based on the size of the colony and about twice a week. Mine are given cat food, but I imagine any sort of kibble would go over well, as well as fish food. I would not suggest any kind of raw or cooked meat, fish, or shellfish, though only because of the inevitable smell.
Environment
The Giant Lobster roach doesn't mind room temperature, though they do very well with added heat. I keep mine at around 67°F (19.4°C) and at an unknown - though not terribly high or low - humidity. The species reportedly prefers 70°-85°F, but reproduces fine at a little below that. Any temperature much further below optimal will cause a decline in growth rate and activity of the colony, and may result in an increase in mortality. Some keepers opt to provide their roaches with secondary heat sources, preferably a weak heat mat stuck to the side of the enclosure, NOT a heat lamp (too much heat, and they dislike the light) or too strong a source. For this species, I would not suggest that. Sure, the roaches like it, but it makes the smell much worse.
This species tolerates conditions damper than bone-dry, and doesn't seem to mind either way, particularly if they are consistently fed. Ensuring the colony always has some food with a high water content (oranges, apples, watermelon, grapes, zucchini) will be entirely sufficient, if humidity is kept high enough (60% works well for me, with minimal poor molts).
Light is a non-issue for this species. They don't require - or want - additional sources beyond a room light, though they don't seem to mind indirect sunlight from a window. Ensure the enclosure is never in direct sunlight!
Enclosure
This species seems to tolerate crowding well, and starter colonies of 6-12 roaches can be kept in a regular 10-gallon glass tank until the adults are all but living on top of each other, though where this point lies depends entirely on the surface area they are provided with. Crowding does not seem to suppress breeding. They may also be kept just as easily in a Rubbermaid bin, or any largeish plastic container of a similar size, though that's not as pretty. A lid is necessary, as this species can technically fly (or flutter short distances, mostly), though it very rarely does. As substrate, the options are flexible. If cost is an issue, the roaches will do well on regular outdoors soil, though I strongly suggest laying it out in a 1in thick layer and baking it at around 400°F for 20 minutes, or until totally dry, first, to prevent taking home unwanted hitchhikers or disease. I also strongly suggest you take extreme care to select soil that has not had fertilizer, insecticide, or any strong chemical applied, as the roaches, often detrivores in the wild, will nibble on most anything you put in their tank, including the substrate. Otherwise, coconut coir or (if the only option, for it's unsustainably harvested) peat moss will hold moisture and work well. Just dampen it first, to prevent particulate matter from covering everything (and making you sneeze!) when you put it in the tank.
Once you have your substrate, it's on to the décor. Egg flats will work well, if cost is an issue. If it's an option, however, I suggest large flat pieces of bark and sturdy twigs: these keep humidity well in the lower layers, and this species enjoys being able to hide. It doesn't need to be cork bark, just something appropriately sized you find outside and either forget in the back of a closet for a few months to dry out, or send through the oven at the aforementioned 400°F for 20min or so. The more the better, and a 10-gallon tank can hold more than you think.
In addition to the purely utilitarian purpose of giving the roaches a hide, the contents of the tank can make it nice to look at, too. A well-set up roach tank full of handsome little guys is simply nice to look at, though that's about the only merit of the Giant Lobster roach. To this purpose, I often use plastic fake plants. I get them more than half-off at Michael's seasonally, and they really add something. Before putting them in the tank, always wash them thoroughly. I use Dawn dish soap and warm water, let them soak for a while, then give them a good scrub, let 'em dry, and throw them in the tank to arrange. Leaflitter is the easiest means to ensure the nymphs have somewhere humid to hide out, and can be gathered in most places from the outdoors. Hardwood leaves, such as oak, are preferred, but maple, ginkgo and the like will do.
Other Information
- Adult size is about 1.65in.
- Ovoviviparous
- Winged!
- Climbs! Make sure you line the inside of the top of the tank with an inch or so of roach barrier, such as petroleum jelly.
An adult Giant Lobster roach. This was a very difficult picture to get, as this species gets squirrelly and stinky when bothered - though they also squeak, which is a point in their favor.