Gromphadorhina portentosa "UCR"

It’s honestly hard to beat the classic hissing cockroach; there’s a reason why they have been a mainstay in the hobby since the dawn of time, and that’s because they are so personable, easy to care for, and who could forget that endearing, dramatic hissing noise they make when you look at them the wrong way? This particular lineage is from University of California, Riverside (UCR) which has (allegedly) been maintained as an isolated line since at least 1985. My founding stock was obtained from Mason of Exotic Wilderness. They like it warm, around 80–90°F, and I give mine a moist substrate with lots of ventilation and airflow, which results in anything above the substrate layer being nice and dry, so your roaches can choose where they want to be at any given time. Many people will tell you to keep them on a bare-floored plastic tote with nothing but egg crates for shelter, but I am staunchly against that ideology. Your roaches will be happier with a substrate layer at least two inches deep, an isopod cleanup crew, and natural wood chunks and bark to hide in. Their staple diet should consist of dog food, leaf litter & vegetable scraps. They also relish sweet treats like fruit or Asian jelly.