Two species, Blaberus craniifer Burmeister, the Cuban death s head cockroach, and Blaberus discoidalis Serville occur in extreme south Florida. Examination of voucher specimens from the zoo revealed that the species in question was neither Blaberus giganteus nor Blaberus craniifer. Instead it was most similar to an unidentified species of Blaberus from Ecuador in the Florida State Collection of Arthropods. In this case we reached a compromise by which the zoo destroyed its colony of exotic roaches and the department supplied specimens of Blaberus craniifer to start a new culture. By the way, Blaberus giganteus is attracted to light.
Many pet stores carry giant mealworms.
These are the larvae of a large darkling beetle that are popular as food for pet birds and especially lizards. They are also sold as fish bait. Unfortunately, the species being sold is not conspecific with the Florida examples and may have originated in Central or South America. The department has in the past denied permits to suppliers to import this beetle but, as it is easy to culture, many pet stores and individuals have their own breeding colonies. Its pest potential is unknown but it is related to several stored-products pests.