Classification
Class— Insecta.
Order — Blattoptera.
Genus— Byrsotria.
Species— Byrsotria fumigata.
Habitat
Cuba.
Outward appearance
Length — 2-5 cm.
Width — 1,5-1,9 cm.
The males can have long or short wings, and, unlike Byrsotria rothi, are always black. The curvature of the wing tips can also be helpful in differentiating the two.
A large black cockroach, only males have wings, easy to keep. Tend to burrow, rather than climb!
Feeding
Cockroaches will eat a range of fruit, veg, cereals and kitchen scraps. I feed all my cockroaches on my dried 'cockroach mix' (muesli, cat biscuits, fish pellets and bran - mixed together), plus a little fruit and veg. I generally feed the cockroaches once or twice a week.
Maintenance care
Plastic Rubbermaid style bin with a window cut out (glue in window screen). If you want to show these wonderful animals off, a glass tank 10-20 gallons in size that has a built-in screen lid.
Eggflats are ideal for productivity with this species as the enclosure is not very humid and do not mold quickly. I recommend the use of corkbark regardless because it doesn't get soggy or mold and makes for great decoration. These animals prefer it hot and lightly humid, 75ºF-90ºF and 65%+ humidity. Regardless they still do well at room level humidity with moderate weekly mistings.
Substrate is not needed with this species if enough hides are provided. But, I always recommend substrate for moisture control and odor reduction. In a show tank a substrate is a must. What natural setting doesn't have dirt or leaves? You can include fake plants as well but be aware that roaches will eat live plants and they could be toxic to them.
A food dish. Keeping food in a dish helps to reduce mold and you can avoid misting the food by simply pulling out the bowl when you do so.
A water dish, remember roaches need moisture in either their diet or as a straight water source. You can use water gel or a shallow bowl filled with water and pebbles to keep the roaches from drowning.
Difficulty keeping
Pheromones can cause an allergy.
