Zebra cockroach is a gorgeous species of cockroach. They have a black line at the base of each abdominal segment, which resemblance the patterns of a zebra. Thus the name zebra cockroach.
Cockroaches are insects, and there are 4600 species of them. Only a tiny amount of them, i.e., 30 lives with us and others, can be found in the wild. So, there are many cockroach species that you are not aware of. All cockroach has the more or less the same behavioral pattern.
They are all scavengers. They can eat anything from fruits, vegetables, paper, clothing, and even dead animals. They are on earth for approximately 320 million years, which is way before the first man stepped on earth. The shape and structure of cockroach vary from species to species.
Zebra Cockroach
Zebra cockroach has zebra-like pattern at the end of the abdomen. They look wonderful, and because of this pattern, they are called zebra cockroaches. Zebra cockroach is like a cockroach who has all the same characteristics of cockroach, but they do have some differences in the body structure.
Although they are cockroaches, they look very different than normal cockroaches. The male body is oval-shaped. The pronotum is elliptical, and the middle portion is wide. Male usually has a yellow color head with a brown colored part in the middle of the body.
The female, on the other hand, is much larger, but their tegmina are smaller. They can’t fly appropriately because of that. They can’t fly for a more extended period because their tegmina cannot support their body weight. The female has an oval-shaped body with yellow head and black stripes throughout the body.
Where They Live
Zebra cockroaches can bee is seen in Indiana, Alabama, Illinois, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, New Mexico, Louisiana.
Why Are Zebra Cockroach So Popular?
A cockroach is popular because they are present almost everywhere. You can find them in your kitchen, eating your food, and contaminating your house, you can find them in the wild, you can find them in the graveyard, you can’t find them in many other places that are dirty and gross.
Cockroaches are scavengers, and they are challenging to kill. They are more unpopular than popular. They live in drains and eats all kinds of food. They will come to your house when they sense some food which they love to eat along and along with that that they are really intelligent.
Everyone knows about the cockroach, and the name zebra cockroach generates curiosity because the name zebra is associated with the name of cockroach.
Unlike an ordinary cockroach, zebra cockroach is not unpopular; they are popular because they look gorgeous. The pattern on their body stands out and looks lovely.
Although zebra cockroach also eats disgusting stuff, they didn’t get unpopular because zebra cockroach is attractive. These species are rare and cannot be found everywhere.
People go to a great extent to find zebra cockroaches. They are difficult to spot because they are small. So, locating them in the wild is a challenging task, but it doesn’t matter; people still look for them.
Is Zebra Cockroach Lucky?
Many people consider them lucky. If someone gets to see zebra cockroach, they think themselves lucky or feel something good is about to happen.
I don’t believe in this stuff, but regardless of whether they are lucky or not, they are indeed beautiful, and it can bring a smile to your face. If you consider joy and happiness to be luck, then they are lucky.
People usually associate rare animals, insects, trees, etc. with good luck. This is happening for centuries. We like to associate luck with something tangible.
Zebra Cockroach Mating And Defending Behaviour
Zebra cockroach-like any other cockroach mates with their partner, and when they are mating like other cockroaches, they take a high protein diet. It gives them strength and faster recovery.
Food that contains protein attracts them during this time compared to other food. During mating season, they also have to defend their territory, and for that, they require enough strength. Without a protein diet, it could have been challenging as it is an exhausting process.
Along with protein, the male also eats more carbohydrates and fat as you already know, carbohydrate is the way to get quick energy. Carbohydrate allows them to perform through the day. Anything that has a high carbohydrate attracts them during this time.
Are Zebra Cockroach Dangerous?
Like any cockroach, they can also spread diseases, but apart from that, they don’t bite, they don’t have fangs to cause any damage to humans. They can get on your food and contaminate it.
If you consume that food, then there are high chances that you can have some disease, which can be problematic, but if you are careful, then you can avoid this situation. Now I understand if you don’t want to kill zebra cockroach because they are beautiful, but you still need to be careful.
Can You Keep Zebra Cockroach As Pet?
You can keep them as a pet, but you need to provide them a natural environment. A natural habitat should have leaves, soil, few branches, and a place to drink water. This controlled habitat will stop them from interacting with the outside environment.
Since they are scavengers, they can eat anything, but you still need to provide then with fresh food. Food like fruits, vegetables is a good option. Cockroaches are low maintenance.
You don’t need to invest too much in them, and they are also obedient. They understand the language of love and caring. Please don’t leave them outside of the created habitat, or they will getaway.
Along with that, you need to careful about predators. If any lizards or spiders get in, they can kill your cockroach so, it better keeps a cover over them, which will stop the predator from getting in.
Keep the temperature to moderate as keeping it too low will kill them, and It’s better to have both male and female cockroaches as pets because it will significantly increase the overall health of the cockroaches.
It applies to all animals and insects. Both sexes are essential for the overall well being of them. They can reproduce, and you’ll have many Zebra cockroaches as a pet instead of just one which can die if, for some reason, the cockroach can’t adjust to the habitat.
Conclusion
Zebra cockroach is gorgeous and but they can also be a nuisance. They don’t’ bring good luck, but you can keep them as pets. They need a proper habitat to live and survive, and it’s better to have both male and female zebra cockroach as that will increase the chances of survival.
They don’t consume too many resources, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore the. You need to provide them with proper food at the appropriate time to ensure survival.
Welcome to my blog. I have been doing pest control for years since my house, garden and pets were always attacked by various kinds of pests and as a result I had to know proper pest control techniques that works. In this blog I share all the tips and tricks that I know and I hope you’ll find it helpful.