Bantua robusta "Namibia"

Housing:

Suggested starting container sizes vary, depending on how many roaches you start out with, whatever it is should be at least 8 inches tall to accommodate the climbing behavior of this species. A 20 qt. Sterilite gasket box should be a perfectly acceptable, permanent enclosure for a colony of this species, and is what I went with for my starter colony. All life stages can climb, and thus a tight fitting lid is necessary. This genus appears to have the general Perisphaerinae requirement of needing a TON of ventilation to gestate properly and quickly, and thus the enclosure should have a LOT of cross and lid ventilation.

A thin layer of substrate half an inch to an inch deep should be provided, and can consist of coconut fiber, sphagnum peat, potting soil, etc., they aren't very picky, as they seldom touch the substrate. Leaf litter can be offered for aesthetics, but they don't seem to feed on it much. One or two corners of the enclosure should remain moist at all times, while the rest should be kept dry.

Vertically slanted bark slabs seem to be the preferred hide choice for most life stages, and branches can be added for climbing on, as these roaches appear to be semi-aboreal. Smaller nymphs will also hide under smaller pieces of horizontal bark and such on the ground, usually near the humid areas of the enclosure.

Adult females near the end of their gestation, however, appear to prefer hiding in small, humid cavities to give birth in, much like Perisphaerus pygmaeus. Curly bark pieces can be offered for them, as well as rotten hardwood branches or chunks of wood, which they'll chew into and create brooding cavities, (and then proceed to dump out all the uneaten sawdust outside said cavities, as they don't actually feed on the wood at all). Alternatively, if these materials are not available to you, you can create your own cavities for them out of corkboard and hot glue, which can also work nicely.
All "gestation hides" should be placed in humid areas of the enclosure.


Diet:

The typical roach fare of dog/cat/chick feed, fruits and veggies works well, they seem to really enjoy fruits in particular. Pollen or artificial pollen is also an appreciated addition to their diet, though whether it's absolutely necessary or even helps reproduction/growth much has yet to be determined... Other than that, they don't seem to have any really specific dietary needs.


Temperature:

Temperatures in the 76-85F° range are needed for breeding. A day/night temperature cycle appears to be completely unnecessary.


Breeding/Life cycle:

Adult females can probably live for 1-2 years, (no accurate longevity reports for them yet), while males usually live 6-7 months. Under optimal conditions and with proper airflow, females only take 3-4 months to gestate their broods. Their first broods are normally small, averaging from 3-7 nymphs, subsequent litters can range from 9-15 nymphs. Nymphs can mature in as little as 3-4 months if kept warm enough, though a small percentage of individuals can take a couple months longer.

The nymphs of this genus are unique in that they exude a waxy coating all over their bodies, which helps prevent them from desiccating in the dry, arid landscapes in which they are found. Adult males lack this coating, and while adult females initially have a thin coating after they molt, they usually lose it rather quickly as well.