Archimandrita tesselata

Description

The peppered roach bears a calm temperament which makes me think of this species as the perfect pet roach. Both nymphs and adults are non-climbers.

Pictures

Temperament & Behavior

Although peppered roaches spend most of their time hidden, you are more likely to see them out and about than other burrowing roaches. Nymphs are generally not skittish during handling.

Temperature

This species likes it warm. I suggest an ambient temperature of around 80 degrees and a warm side of 95-100 degrees F. Cooler temperatures will simply mean slower production.

Set-up

These roaches are very interesting in that they display a social order. I've seen the dominant adult male(s) lingering on the surface during the day. Female adults will come out at night, and any (rejected) subordinate males will stay in the corner. Like with hissers, the more layers and range of hides you can provide, the better each adult male will be able to establish his own territory.

Peppered roaches require humidity to assist in shedding or else nymphs will have their new exoskeletons harden before they have enough time to make it out of the old one. I've got my peppereds set up with about five inches of coconut fiber (also known as Bed-a-Beast, Eco-Earth, or Forest Bed). The heated side is where I keep the substrate moist. The substrate is wet enough to stick to my hands but not soggy dripping with water. The cool side also has substrate, but I keep this part of the enclosure dry to avoid mold. On the cool side, I put ground up cat food in a shallow dish and sprinkle other dry food items like cereal directly on top of the substrate.

Archimandrita tesselata gladly make themselves at home burrowing in the substrate, but you should also add hides on the surface for them to use. Large scraps of rotten wood has worked the best for me. It will not mold like egg cartons are prone to do when exposed to moist substrate. Remember, be elaborate with your hides arrangements!

If you use kitty chow or similar item as a main component of their diet, be careful not to let the food mix in with wet substrate. That will usually cause any dormant mite eggs to hatch. One way to avoid this is to keep the dry food in a dish so it's less likely to mix in with the substrate. Another way is to sterilize the substrate. Heating with a high power microwave seems to help but may not be as thorough as baking. If you use Bed-a-Beast, make sure it's fully expanded and moist when you sterilize with either method.

Care

Because my enclosures receive supplemental heat and plenty of ventilation, the substrate dries out quickly. To combat this, I've added water crystal gel to the substrate on the moist side of the enclosure. You can add an even thicker layer of substrate to extend moisture retention. With my current set-up, I have to water the cage about every 3-4 days.

Diet

This species seems to favor Cheerios and fish flake food. They will also nibble on oranges, strawberries, and carrots, and sweet potato, but not with much vigor. Peaches and apples appear to be less attractive. Potatoes pretty go completely untouched. Leafy green vegetables, oak leaves (both dry and fresh), and rose leaves are also readily consumed.

Breeding

Peppered roaches seem to have better production when provided with pieces of rotten wood to eat. You can easily find scrap pieces of tree bark in areas that have old trees. I collected some from my friend's back yard in the suburbs. Keep the rotten wood in the warm side of the cage and take care to moisten it when you mist the cage. This will make the wood more edible for the roaches.

This species reproduces by live birth rather than egg-laying. The process is not quite like live birth in humans (viviparity) but consists of the eggs hatching as they're being laid (ovoviviparity).

Other notes

The scientific name is often spelled tesselata but academic sources report the spelling as "tessellata," like the word tessellate which means "to form into a mosaic." However, the word derives from the Latin tesselat ("checkered"), so I will go with tesselata.

Functionality

Because of their sheer bulk, peppered roaches would probably make a great feeder for large lizards. However, their expensive cost and slow growth makes other roach feeders more cost effective. I personally just keep this species as a pet.