A Box from Mr.McMonigle

Hey Everyone!
After a very busy and technologically problem-filled last couple months, I'm very glad to finally be up and posting again! 🙂 As you guys can tell from the title, this post will be on a package I recently received from the author of many arthropod husbandry guides, creator/editor of Invertebrates Magazine, co-creator/moderator of the roach, beetle, and mantid forums, and one of the founding fathers of the modern arthropod culturing hobby, Orin McMonigle! So let's jump right in.
In this package I received a "nearly certain" sexed pair of Apeuthes sp. and Acladocricus sp., along with six Gyna lurida "Yellow", Simandoa conserfariam, and, most excitingly, Dorylaea orini nymphs!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's start with the new addition to my collection that I'm probably most thrilled about keeping, the Orin's zebra roach! I purchased five of these guys, but ended up with six small-large nymphs. There are some pretty sizeable gaps between the ages, but four of them seem like they'll mature close enough to each other that they'll be able to breed, so I'm just really keeping my fingers crossed that there's at least one of each sex. Besides just getting this species to breed, the infamously tough part comes in, getting the oothecae to hatch. I will be sticking closely to Kyle Kandilian and Orin's advice on culturing this species successfully: offering plentiful food, keeping the substrate consistently moist, providing rotten wood and/or bark for oviposition, and keeping the humidity at 75% or higher. Following these guidelines, I really, REALLY hope to be successful with this species that many have failed with, wish me luck! I'll be keeping my group in a large cheeseball container with a completely sealed lid and a nice amount of pinholes for ventilation on either side. Their substrate is a good mix of 50% coconut fiber, 15% sphagnum moss, 10% coconut husk, 15% cypress mulch, and 10% dead leaves (like I will be providing in slightly different ratios to almost all my roaches now).
Here are some pics of my gems and their enclosure!

Large D.orini nymphs

Small D.orini nymphs

D.orini enclosure

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Very pleased to have now acquired this gorgeous strain of the "Poster roach" of it's genus, Gyna lurida! This strain, which was isolated by Orin a while back, apparently throws out yellows of varying intensity so it'll be my little project refining it, but I don't mind a bit. 🙂 My six tiny-small nymphs basically look identical to G.caffrorum, but definitely won't as adults. I'll be keeping them in a small, plastic container with two ventilation holes in the lid until they grow larger, then will be transferring them to a more appropriate enclosure to start a colony in. Their current substrate consists of the standard roach mix, coconut fiber, coconut husk, sphagnum moss, cypress mulch, and dead leaves.
Here are the pictures!

Small G.lurida "Yellow" nymph

G.lurida "Yellow" enclosure

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The last roach species I picked up is surely the most unique considering that it is now thought to be completely extinct in the wild. The only place where this species, Simandoa conserfariam, was ever found in the wild was destroyed as a result of a bauxite mining project back in 2004. However, shortly before this a few scientists discovered and described this species bringing back some individuals for captive cultivation. Very fortunately, they did well and were then distributed to hobbyists all around the U.S. There looks to be no end in sight for this species as they display a number of characteristics that would appeal to any hobbyist: iridescent and colorfully striped nymphs, red legs, production of a squeaking noise when startled, and silvery, bronze-flecked wings at adulthood.
I've started my culture of this species with six small nymphs, which will hopefully turn out to be a good mix of males and females and have a ton of babies for me! 😃 I'm currently keeping them in a 64 oz. plastic container with a well-sealing lid, which has numerous pinholes poked through it for ventilation. Like the others, I'm keeping these guys on my general roach mix of coconut fiber, coconut husk, sphagnum moss, cypress mulch, and dead leaves.
Here's some photos!

Small S.conserfariam nymphs

S.conserfariam enclosure

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now to the arthropods which are entirely new for me, millipedes!
It seems like there is a little confusion regarding the scientific name of the first species I picked up, the Thai rainbow millipede. I have seen these guys labeled as both Tonkinbolus caudulanus and (By Orin) Apeuthes sp., since they were sold to me as the latter and Orin has had more experience than many in the millipede hobby, I'll be labeling them as Apeuthes sp.
Anyway, Orin was super kind in sending me millipedes that were twice the offering size (4 inches) so he could sex them with more certainty.  These millipedes are one of the smaller species currently in culture, being fairly thin and only measuring four inches or slightly over at adulthood. However, what they lack in size, they surely make up for in beauty sporting an attractive silverish-blue base color with pink banding and antennae. I'll be keeping my two individuals in a 64 oz. plastic container with decent ventilation through the lid in the form of pinholes. Their substrate consists of about 25% topsoil, 35% compost, 20% rotten wood, and 20% dead leaves.
Pics below. 😊

Apeuthes sp.

(Would have shown pics of their enclosure, but I figured that I'd just show the Acladocricus' since they are identical)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The other species of millie I had the pleasure of acquiring was Acladocricus sp., commonly circulated in the hobby by the name "Giant Philippine Blue" or "Giant Philippine Blue-Gray". These guys are far less common than the rainbows and supposedly reproduce in much smaller numbers. Also contrasting from the rainbows, these millipedes are among the thickest in the hobby and have comparatively tiny legs for their mass. In similarity, Orin tried to sex these the best he could for me and sent individuals nearly triple the listed size (2.5-3 inches). Although they are called blue or blue-gray millipedes, these don't show off any of that deep blue coloration until they hit adulthood. I will be keeping them in the same set-up and substrate as my Apeuthes sp.
Here's the photos!

Acladocricus sp.

Acladocricus enclosure

As awesome as these guys are, a certain someone made me an offer I could couldn't refuse for them........so I will only have this species for the next month or so. I'm very excitedly awaiting this trade and am keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well considering that I'll likely be moving shortly before or after it. In any case, I hope you guys enjoyed my first post back from a long hiatus and I'll see you all next time! 🙂