Please note, this species is still very difficult to breed in captivity, it would seem some key element in their captive husbandry is missing, but we are unsure what exactly that is yet. This should not be treated as a complete care sheet, as we in the hobby are still experimenting with care methods for this species, this just serves as a template to go off of based on my personal experience and tips from other breeders.
Housing:
While this species doesn't like things too crowded, me and another keeper have noticed they do sometimes have trouble finding food in a larger enclosure, (especially if the food is more than an inch away from their hides), so I'd definitely start a colony out in nothing larger than a gallon sized enclosure, with multiple feeding areas. I've found that such an enclosure can hold at least two dozen individuals, if enough hides are provided. Some vertical space for the adults to roam around a bit at night would probably be appreciated though, and definitely don't let them get too crowded, or else the colony may crash. The enclosure should have a moderate amount of ventilation.
A substrate 1-2 inches deep should be provided, I used coconut fiber, and then a mix of coconut fiber and several other organic components, (rotten wood, long fibered sphagnum moss, crushed dead leaves, aged fir bark and peat moss, etc.). A layer of dead leaf litter can be added on top of the substrate if desired, as well as some pieces of bark. Keep the enclosure relatively clean too. They don't seem to like especially "peaty" or really decomposed substrates, it messes with their tarsi. Their substrate definitely shouldn't be too fine or dusty. Substrate might need to be replaced every 6 months or so if it degrades too much or becomes filled with frass.
According to Gil Wizen, they appreciate a "clumpy substrate", and he says that he uses processed beetle larvae substrate for his, which could be the reason they seem to do so well for him...
I and most other breeders have traditionally kept our Panchlora sp. "White" enclosures rather humid. However, in more recent conversations with the original collector of this stock, Gil Wizen, it seems his colony is doing very well in a more arid enclosure, with most of the substrate kept more dry, and humid areas for the adults in between vertically stacked bark slabs. While Gil's colony seems to be doing well in the above setup, I'd highly recommend most breeders keep at least half the substrate moist at all times, especially if your ambient air humidity is low, so you don't risk drying them out completely... I believe Gil keeps his rather cool, maybe in the 75F° range, which helps to prevent dehydration and retain air humidity, if kept warmer and as dry as his, adults and even nymphs may start dying off...
Unlike typical Panchlora, the younger nymphs and even some of the larger instars of this species aren't the best at burrowing, and really seem to prefer pre-made hides in my experience, such as vertically or horizontally placed "roach-huts" made of cork boards or plywood glued/nailed together with spaces in between, (they should be partially buried to provide easy access to the nymphs, and holes should be cut out at the substrate level for them to enter easily. Larger nymphs may create tunnels around the hides). If such cavities are not provided, the younger nymphs appear to get agitated and don't usually do as well, some may even die off or be cannibalized upon, and if covered in loose substrate, nymphs may suffer molting deformities. Such hide preferences seem to match with Gil's "clumpy substrate" remark, it seems nymphs of this species hate touching fine, loose substrate. Hides with large cavernous shapes such as toilet paper rolls and egg cartons will go unused by the nymphs, they prefer more tight quarters.
Adults, especially females, really like hanging out on vertically arranged "roachhuts" or bark slabs, if these are not provided they will hang out on the enclosure walls instead, and this can lead to females aborting their ooths more often than not. Unlike other Panchlora species the females do not tend to burrow that much unless they have to. Providing them with vertically arranged hides may be the most important factor in preventing the females from aborting oothecae, as well as a varied diet.
So to sum it all up, keeping them slightly dryer or giving them a clumpy substrate might be the key to a healthy colony, lots of vertical hides like bark slabs or "roach-huts" should be provided for both nymphs and adults, and be sure to offer them multiple feeding areas, as both I and a friend have noticed they can have difficulty locating food, similar to some Ectobiids.
Diet:
Fruits such as apples and bananas should always be provided, as they are favorites of Panchlora, this species also has a fondness for artificial pollen, and will eat chick/dog/cat food too. Mine also had a unique fondness for pre-killed Tenebrio larvae and pupae, and may eat other pre-killed, soft bodied invertebrates as well. They may enjoy eating beetle larvae frass and rotted flake soil too. I'd recommend feeding them all of the foods mentioned above and more, as a varied diet seems to be key to their well being.
I do not recommend offering their food in bowls of any kind, they seem to find it best if it's placed directly on the substrate, preferably close to their hides, (but do offer food in less inhabited areas of the enclosure too, just to be safe). So definitely be sure to add a cleaner crew of springtails to the enclosure to keep things clean, and perhaps some harmless scavenger mites species too, (if only to prevent worse mites from infesting the enclosure). No isopods of any kind should be added, as they'd probably wipe out the roaches.
Also, it's possible this species may lose it's gut symbiotic bacteria after being shipped, so definitely be sure to add some frass pellets from other healthy Blaberid colonies you own to the enclosure of this species right after acquiring them, as they will have a hard time digesting food properly if they don't have any gut flora.
Temperature:
This species prefers a temperature range of 75-85F° for breeding, make sure they have adequate airflow before keeping them too hot though, especially if you are keeping them fairly humid. That should go without saying really, but I can't overstate how fragile this species really is.
Breeding/Life cycle:
Adult males live around 3-4 months as adults, while females usually live for at least 5-7 months, (depending on how good the husbandry perimeters are). Gestation takes around 3 months or more, and females can give birth to litters of over a dozen nymphs twice, only if kept exceptionally well and provided the proper hides, foods and temperature, otherwise you'll be lucky to get half a dozen nymphs out of them...
This is the slowest growing Panchlora in culture, with some nymphs taking up to a year to mature, males often maturing first. Growth rates have proven to be rather staggered though, so usually by the time most of the females are mature there will still be at least one young mature male or a subadult one in the enclosure.
Springtails can be added to keep fungal growth down in the enclosure, however if you are using some of the larger species, be sure to cull the numbers every now and then, too many can stress them out. Again, don't add any isopods, (even micro ones) as clean up crews, as they'd probably be too intrusive to the roaches in the long run, and could lead to their demise.
Don't ship adult females unless absolutely necessary, as it will almost certainly shorten their lifespan and cause them to abort their oothecae. Nymphs and adult males should be fine if packed properly though.
If for some reason one of your adult females starts acting lethargic or can't climb well, and she is still somewhat young, I'd suggest isolating her to a small enclosure, only about 16 oz, with moderate ventilation, an inch or so of humid or semi-humid substrate, some simple vertical and horizontally placed hides for her to cling to/hide under, and feeding spots in two opposite corners of the enclosure. You can add a male to the enclosure if you want to ensure she is fertilized. I have done this with weak females before and it can keep them alive and give you a litter or two of nymphs, which can sometimes be the difference between losing your colony or not.
Overall this is a VERY picky species, perhaps the most difficult to breed Blaberid still in the hobby, and may never become fully established in culture unless great care is taken to preserve them. The females can be prone to random abortions, and nymphs can die off randomly for seemingly no reason. It seems that something is missing in their husbandry currently, so I would suggest trying new things with your colony, such as new foods, hide types, enclosure layouts and humidity gradients, but take extreme caution when doing so. Lapses in care can destroy a colony, and I'd only recommended them to the most experienced and devoted hobbyists out there. That being said, they are worth the trouble, as the bright ivory coloration of the adults, (especially young adult males) with the subtle black lines and flecks on the wings makes them one of the prettiest roaches in the hobby! 😁 I really hope they will persevere in captivity and become more hardy and attainable as the years go on!
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