Cockroach Fact Sheet
There are nearly 4000 species of Cockroaches (Dictyoptera, Blattodea) in the world, of which only 25 to 30 (or less
than 1) have any pest status, the rest are innocent members of the earth's fauna, some of which are cleanly, gentle and
peaceful, and as such make great pets. The largest known Cockroaches in the world are (largest wingspan up to 18 cm)
Megaloblatta longipennis, largest body, Macropanesthia rhinocerus from Australia weighing in at up to 50 grams. The
smallest known is Attaphilla fungicola which lives in the nests of Leaf Cutter ants of the genus Atta in North America and
feeds on the fungus they farm, it is about 4 mm long
Cockroaches have been on the Earth for at least two hundred and fifty million years and it is possible that in the late
carboniferous cockroaches outnumbered (in terms of number of individuals) all other flying insects. Most Cockroaches are
tropical in habitat and Britain has only 3 native species, which is less than the number of introduced species. Many
Cockroaches are diurnal, though most are nocturnal. Many are forest floor species though some are cave dwellers, some are
semi-aquatic, some burrowing, some wood boring, and some even make their homes in the nests of social insects (Attaphila
fungicola in the nests of various Attine ants).
Giant Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches are found on the island nation of Madagascar, which is off the east coast of Africa. As decomposers, they perform an important role in nature. They eat leaf litter and other decaying plant and animal tissue, and break these materials down for nature to reuse.
Madagascan hissing cockroaches get their name from a defensive warning sound they produce through small openings on their sides, which are used for breathing. When air is pumped out of these small openings, it produces a hiss, which can be heard from 12 feet away!
Cockroaches, in general, are almost indestructible. Some can survive freezing for more than two days, go without food for three months, and live through nearly 100 times the radiation dose that would kill a human.
Giant Madagascan hissing cockroaches have been found to be almost identical to fossil roaches that lived over 300 million years ago. This is older than the dinosaur era!
Having been around for millions of years has brought these cockroaches amazing popularity. They can be seen making their film debuts in both movies "Men in Black" and "Starship Troopers."
