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Giant cave cockroach
Blaberus giganteus
One of the largest cockroach species in the world, fascinating for its impressive size and docile nature. Excellent for spacious terrariums and very simple to care for.
Class:Insecta
Order:Blattodea
Family:Blaberidae
Genus:Blaberus
Species:Blaberus giganteus
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
60 - 80 %
Ambient temperature
24 - 28 °C
Day temperature
27 °C
Night temperature
22 °C
Substrate depth
>= 5 cm
UVB
None
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, particularly the Amazon basin. Inhabits dark humid caves, hollow fallen logs, and dense leaf litter where sunlight rarely penetrates.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the order Blattodea, family Blaberidae. A species of significant interest in giant insect genetics studies and a popular subject in captivity due to its hardiness and ease of care.
Behavior and Habits: Primarily nocturnal and photophobic. Possesses semi-arboreal habits, climbing vertically on bark and branches at night. Despite their large wings, adults do not fly actively but can glide downward.
Morphology: Males reach 7.5-8 cm in length, while females can grow to 9-10 cm. Features a dorso-ventrally flattened body, light brown or tan in color, with a prominent black shield-like spot on the pronotum. Wings completely cover the abdomen.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a spacious terrarium (minimum 50x30x40 cm for a small colony) with vertical orientation. Include cork bark slabs arranged vertically to allow climbing and safe molting, and a moist peat substrate.
Lighting and Heating: No special lighting is required. The ideal temperature is warm, between 25°C and 28°C, easily provided using a small thermostat-controlled heat mat attached to the outside side of the terrarium.
Humidity and Hydration: Humidity must be kept stable between 60% and 80%. Mist the terrarium walls every other day to let the insects drink. A damp substrate helps maintain these ambient humidity levels.
Feeding and Supplementation: Omnivorous and detritivorous species. Accepts dry leaves, fresh fruits (banana, apple), vegetables (carrots, squash), and high-quality dry dog or cat food to fulfill protein needs. Remove fresh leftovers to prevent mite infestations.
Compatibility: Best kept in monospecific colonies. They coexist peacefully in large numbers, provided there is enough food and vertical climbing space. Males may engage in minor territorial displays with no physical harm.
Health and Common Diseases: Extremely robust species. Molting failures (incomplete shedding or wing deformities) can occur if the terrarium is too dry or if stable vertical structures are absent for the insect to hang from while shedding.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, particularly the Amazon basin. Inhabits dark humid caves, hollow fallen logs, and dense leaf litter where sunlight rarely penetrates.
Origin
Amazon, Orinoco, and GuianasCentral America and CaribbeanEast Asia
Terrestrial invertebrate profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 10 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Venom level
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 10 cm. The Animal Diversity Web — Blaberus giganteus source reports a maximum adult measurement of 10 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). The taxonomic record consulted is Blaberus giganteus. These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
