Chrome Cockroach (Gyna caffrorum)

Buy a Chrome Cockroach as a nymph and you will not see the chrome for months, which is rather the point of it. This southern African porcelain roach runs through a full colour progression as it grows, from a peppered black-and-white youngster, through metallic blue-grey "chrome" wings on the young adult, to a soft silvery-white in maturity, with orange-red legs and body holding steady the whole way through. Few hobby invertebrates change quite so much as they develop.

Introduction

This is Gyna caffrorum, a "porcelain roach" from southern Africa, described by Stål in 1856. It is the most forgiving of the Gyna in the hobby, more humidity-tolerant and more temperature-flexible than its relatives, which makes it the right first porcelain roach, and it pairs naturally with our Centurion (G. centurio) for a genus display. One naming note, since it causes confusion: both species are sold as "Chrome", so check the binomial when researching care. And no, despite an old, discredited synonym, it does not make any sound.

Appearance and behaviour

Adults reach 30 to 35 mm, females a little larger than males, with fully-developed wings patterned to blend into leaf litter. The colour story is the draw: peppered nymphs, then chrome-blue young adults, then silvery-white mature ones, all set off by persistent orange-red legs. Unusually for the genus the nymphs are reasonably visible on the surface rather than purely burrowing, so there is something to watch throughout the long development rather than only at the end.

Care

Two things to keep in mind. First, containment: adults both climb smooth surfaces and can fly, and though this species prefers to burrow and only takes off when stressed or very warm, the capability is real, so a genuinely escape-proof, tight-lidded setup with a smooth barrier around the rim is non-negotiable. Reassuringly, an escapee cannot establish in a cool, dry UK home. Second, and against instinct for a roach, it wants only moderate humidity, 50 to 70%, on a gradient with half the substrate drier, since too-wet conditions bring moulting problems; pair that with good ventilation. It is forgiving on temperature, happy from 21 to 29°C and surviving cooler UK winters, though 25 to 28°C drives breeding (at the cost of more flight). Give a deep substrate of coir, leaf litter and decaying hardwood for the burrowing nymphs, and mount any heat on the side, never underneath. Never heat a burrowing insect from below.

Diet and breeding

An undemanding omnivore and a light feeder: hardwood leaf litter is the staple, with soft fruit such as banana and apple, a little vegetable, and a constant protein source like roach chow or dried shrimp, since too little protein slows the nymphs and too much can spark cannibalism. Avoid potato, tomato and pepper, and keep a calcium source available. Like all Gyna it is ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young, up to around 200 over a female's life in several small litters, so with the visible nymphs a colony's growth is genuinely watchable rather than a surprise months later. A springtail culture handles the waste.

Who is this for?

The Chrome suits the first-time Gyna keeper, the display keeper drawn to that multi-stage colour change, and the collector pairing it with the Centurion. It is a poor fit for anyone without a genuinely sealed lid, a setup that cannot ventilate, or a keeper set on treating it like a humid tropical roach. The rest of the range is in our cockroach collection, and setup kit in our accessories range.

All stock is captive-bred here in the UK and ships under our live arrival guarantee, packed carefully for warmth and dispatched Monday to Thursday by Royal Mail next day before 1pm.