The popular young fresh meat is unexpectedly used as fodder.

The cherry red cockroach (Blatta lateralis) is a widely raised species of cockroaches of the Blattella family of the order Blattella (in some classification systems are placed in another genus Shelfordella). They are called Turkestan cockroach-- Turkestan cockroaches in English. Unlike the names of Blattella germanica, Periplaneta Americana and Periplaneta Americana, the name Turkestan cockroach is actually right. Cherry red cockroach is indeed native to Central Asia and North Africa.

Some people will also call the cherry red cockroach "Red Runner" red runner, which sounds a bit cool, like some kind of superhero. By contrast, the word "cherry" in the Chinese name is much more spiritual, and it can be said that their red and shiny coats are "delicious".

Cherry red cockroach. Picture: worms singing in the mountains

The "fresh meat" of the insect world

If you notice the "feeding" mentioned at the beginning of the article, you may wonder: "Why do you want to raise cockroaches?" My family can't even finish it! "

First of all, you can see only a few kinds of cockroaches at home, 99% of which are different; second, except for humans, most animals like cockroaches very much, or at least don't hate them.

Cockroaches are neither ferocious predators nor blood-sucking parasites, which have no negative effect on other animals. more importantly, they are still "fresh meat" without the power to bind chickens, and insect-eating animals are naturally delighted to see them. Therefore, the most extensive use of raising cherry red cockroaches in captivity is as live feed for other animals.

The red "fresh meat". Picture: Happy1892 / wikimedia

Why is it excellent live feed?

As a live feed, what is the advantage of cherry red cockroach?

First of all, the cherry red cockroach has a soft body, with no inaccessible parts except the wings of male adults. Compared with bread worms, it is like a dumpling to a baguette and a lion's head to Lamb Spine Hot Pot.

Cherry red cockroaches are very active, and two-legged beasts may not like insects that are difficult to control, but for insectivores, such active prey can stimulate their hunting instincts, especially vision-dependent predators such as jumping spiders, mantis and frogs. The rampant cherry red cockroach is an excellent feast for vertebrates who are prone to boredom and stereotyped behavior.

"do you crave strength?" "No, I crave cockroaches." This is a leopard print palace pulled by "a handful of cockroaches and a handful of Xiaoqiang". Photo: singing of insects in the mountains.

Second, cherry red cockroaches lack defense, and even predators who are weak or picky can enjoy it.

Bread worms of the order Coleoptera whose larvae often feed on stored grain. Picture: Mnolf & Didier Descouens / wikimedia

Crickets are also carnivorous, and their strong, prickly hind legs are also powerful weapons.

The creeping cockroaches represented by Dubia are good at digging. If there is a substrate in the feeding tank, they can instantly "escape". In addition, Dubia can also "stick to the ground" and pretend to be dead. this greatly reduces the appetite of animals that like to hunt active bait.

In fact, cherry red cockroaches are not completely defenseless. I have observed that cherry red cockroaches secrete mucus at the end of their abdomen when they are frightened. Some cockroaches secrete quite strong mucus, but the cherry red cockroach is more sad, I have never seen anyone afraid.

The secret weapon of cherry red cockroach: mucus secreted at the end of the abdomen. Picture: worms singing in the mountains

Therefore, from praying mantis to spiders, from carnivorous fish to amphibians, from lizards to birds, mammals, and even rodents that occasionally beat worms to the teeth, there are basically no insect-eating animals that do not love cherry red cockroaches. Cherry red cockroach is a good tribute, whether in laboratories, zoos, or individual raising small animals that love to eat insects.

Cherry red cockroach breeding is also quite easy, find a plastic box to throw a pile of egg receptacle, put dog food and water basin, give enough temperature, they will reproduce happily. Cherry red cockroaches can't climb smooth walls, so they can stay with a feeding box with a vertical smooth inner wall; if you're afraid that the inner wall is not smooth enough, apply a layer of Vaseline.

Egg receptacle is an ideal tool for raising cherry red cockroach. Picture: worms singing in the mountains

Male and female lives are different.

Androgyny is common in cockroaches, and cherry red cockroaches are no exception-males have long wings and look like slimmed American cockroaches, while females have only a short piece of wings.

Cherry red cockroach male adult. Picture: Happy1892 / wikimedia

Cherry red cockroach female adult. Picture: Happy1892 / wikimedia

Like other members of the Blattella family, the cherry red cockroach lays its eggs in a pencil-box-like egg pod and leaves it on the ground waiting for it to hatch. In contrast, Dubiya cockroaches and orange-headed cockroaches, which are often used as fodder in the Blattella family, reproduce through eggs, while Blattella germanica carries egg pods until they hatch.

Female cherry red cockroaches and egg pods that have just been laid and haven't had time to drop. Picture: Happy1892 / wikimedia

The newly hatched cherry red cockroach Wan is very weak and tender, so they are very suitable for small animals, such as small frogs or young mantis that have just come ashore from tadpoles. As they grow up, they can be fed to larger animals. Because it is extremely easy to distinguish between male and female adults, it is also possible to pick out males and feed them, leaving females to breed and grow. This is really an amazing life of "live feed", which can be said to be "red cockroach to the end of dead meat".

Cherry red cockroach nymph. Picture: Happy1892 / wikimedia

Cherry red cockroach adults are medium-sized, one circle smaller than Periplaneta Americana; because they are small, they look more "approachable" than Periplaneta Americana; they also feel soft and cute after being raised for a long time; coupled with their unparalleled excellent performance as live feed, they are the best choice for feed insects, much better than bread bugs, crickets, Dubiya cockroaches and so on.

Don't you have to worry about it spreading disease?

Many people think that cockroaches can spread diseases, but in fact, there is no reliable literature on cockroaches directly transmitting human diseases.

Although several kinds of cockroaches living indoors, such as Blattella germanica, carry germs, their main effect on people is to cause allergies. It should be noted that metabolites such as the feces of cherry red cockroaches are also allergenic. Therefore, people who raise cherry red cockroaches should wear masks when cleaning feeding boxes and changing egg holders to avoid repeated contact with allergens.

Very scientific and friendly hand-drawn, showing some of the key points of keeping cockroaches, interested children's shoes can copy the following links to browse. Picture: wikihow.com/Breed-Feeder-Roaches

Cherry red cockroach is not a cockroach that adapts to the indoor environment, and it is not cold-resistant, so there is no need to worry too much about escape in the north. But in the tropics and subtropics, they do have the risk of invasion. In the United States, Florida has separate regulations prohibiting the keeping of cherry red cockroaches, and invasive populations of cherry red cockroaches have also been found in the southern United States. Although the habits and niches of these intruders highly overlap with the oriental cockroach Blatta orientalis that has been invaded globally, and their real impact may be relatively limited, some researchers believe that the escaped cherry red cockroach is crowding out the latter.

All in all, cherry red cockroaches are excellent live feed, but raising them in the tropics and subtropics is not a good idea. In these areas, raising native or invasive species (such as Oriental cockroaches) as live feed is a better choice.

The author of this article claims that cockroaches are his favorite animals and has written all kinds of Xiaoqiang for the species calendar for a whole week. If you think you can handle it, reply "Little Qiang week" to the official Wechat account of the species calendar.

This is the 173rd article in the fourth year of the species Calendar, from the author of the species Calendar @ Deep Mountain insect Yin.