Polyphaga obscura

· Chopard, 1929 · Corydiidae

Temperature: 24–30 °C
Adult size: approx. 25–35 mm
Humidity: low to moderate, approx. 40–60%; 1/4–1/3 of the substrate kept damp
Origin: Central Asia (Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan)
Substrate: 5–8 cm of coco fibre without sand, with dry hardwood leaves on top
Diet: dry leaves, dry food, a little fruit and vegetables
Reproduction: oviparous – oothecae are buried in the substrate and must not stay wet for long; females wingless, males winged
Development: up to about a year when warm, up to about 2 years when cooler

difficulty: demanding climbs glass: no flies: yes

in the price list · pack of 10 Out of stock

nymphs PLN 350 ≈ €82 / 10 pcs

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More about the species

Sexes, stages and pitfalls

How to sex them

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♂ male

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♀ female

Adults

In the genus Polyphaga males are slender, winged and fly, while females are wingless and rounded, armadillo-like.

Nymphs

Nymphs look like small females – sexing them is not practical.

Life stages

Oothecae are buried in the substrate – hatching can take about 6 months. Development is slow. Adults are darker than P. saussurei and the oothecae straighter and more rigid.

Common problems

High nymph mortality; bacterial infections have been reported.
Oothecae are easy to dry out or rot – leave them alone and keep a damp corner.
Small appetite – dry protein food is the staple; fruit and vegetables are often ignored.

Good to know

Many “obscura” cultures are reportedly mislabelled P. saussurei. True P. obscura lines in culture are said to be parthenogenetic – females only.

Taxonomy

Order: Blattodea
Family: Corydiidae
Subfamily: Corydiinae

From my breeding room

Photos and videos

Shots of Polyphaga obscura from my breeding room. Click a photo to enlarge it.

Photos and videos of this species will appear here.

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