Madagascar hissing cockroach
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| Madagascar hissing cockroach | ||||||||||||||
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 Female Madagascar hissing cockroach
(Gromphadorhina portentosa) |
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| Gromphadorhina portentosa (Schaum |
The Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa), also known as the hissing roach or simply hisser, is one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 2–3 inches (5-8cm) at maturity. They are from the island of Madagascar off the African coast, where they can be found in rotting logs.
Unlike most cockroaches, they are wingless. They are excellent climbers and can scale smooth glass. Males can be distinguished from females by their thicker, hairier antennae and the pronounced "horns" on the pronotum. Females carry the ootheca (egg case) internally, and release the young nymphs only after the eggs have hatched. As in some other wood roaches, the parents and offspring will commonly remain in close physical contact for extended periods of time. In captivity, these insects can live 5 years. They feed primarily on vegetable material.
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[edit] Hissing
The Madagascar cockroach has become a popular pet because of its hissing sound, large size, and appearance. Their nickname, "hissing cockroach", is due to their ability to force air through the breathing pores (spiracles) found on their abdomen. The Madagascar hissing cockroach is believed to be the only insect that can hiss in this exact manner,[1] as most insects that make a "hissing" sound do so by rubbing together various body parts. (Some long-horned beetles, e.g., the Giant Fijian long-horned beetle, can squeeze air out from under their elytra, but this does not involve the spiracles). This hiss takes two forms: the disturbance hiss and the fighting hiss. All cockroaches from the fourth instar (fourth molting cycle) and older are capable of the disturbance hiss. Only males use the fighting hiss; they use it when challenged by other males. This results in one of the males backing down and the fight being over. Males hiss more often than females. The biggest cockroach, named Michael, was measured at 5.2 inches long and lived to be 14 years old.
[edit] Associations with other animals
The mite species Gromphadorholaelaps schaeferi lives on this species of roach and takes some of its host's food. As these mites do not harm the cockroaches they live upon, they are commensals, not parasites.
[edit] Popular culture
The hisser has featured in Hollywood movies, prominently in Bug (1975) as roaches who could set fires by rubbing their legs together, and in Damnation Alley (1977) as post-nuclear-war mutant armor-plated "killer" cockroaches. In Starship Troopers, a movie about a war against an enemy called "The Bugs," a teacher is shown encouraging her students to step on this species as part of a TV propaganda broadcast.
A Madagascar hissing cockroach has been used as the driver of a mobile robot.[1] They have been encrusted with Swarovski crystals and used as necklaces and brooches. They were used in the reality television series Fear Factor. The species also made an appearance in the movie Men In Black in 1997. This was later parodied in the comedy Team America: World Police (2004), where a Madagascar hissing cockroach emerges from Kim Jong-il's body after his death, enters a tiny spaceship, and flies away.
In September 2006, amusement park Six Flags Great America announced it would be granting unlimited line-jumping privileges for all rides to anyone who could eat a live Madagascar hissing cockroach as part of a Halloween-themed FrightFest. Furthermore, if a contestant managed to beat the previous world record (eating 36 cockroaches in 1 minute), he would receive season passes for four people during the 2007 season. This is a difficult record to break because raw cockroaches contain a mild neurotoxin that numbs the mouth and makes it difficult to swallow[citation needed]. The promotion ended on October 29, 2006.
The roaches were used in a runway challenge for sixth cycle of America's Next Top Model.
[edit] As pets
Madagascar cockroaches can be kept as pets. They cannot fly like some species of roaches, and they are not aggressive and do not bite. They need a small living area and a spot for them to hide because they do not like the light. They can live on fresh vegetables along with any kind of pellet food that is high in protein, such as dry dog food. In the USA, some states require permits before this species can be kept as a pet or in breeding colonies. For example, the state of Florida requires such a permit. In fact, during outreach programs, the University of Florida's Department of Entomology and Nematology, which has such a permit, allows only males to be taken out of the laboratory. This is to prevent the possible introduction of a gravid female into the environment.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- CockroachGuy.com Care information and photos
- Rearing cockroaches and details of a society dedicated to keeping cockroaches
- Live roach cam
- http://www.bugsincyberspace.com/roaches
- Photos of Madagascar hissing cockroach - black form and Madagascar hissing cockroach - red form, and more cockroaches.
- When Cockroaches Seize Controls - Cockroach-controlled mobile robot story in Wired News
- Cockroach Controlled Mobile Robot - Cockroach controlled mobile robot by Garnet Hertz
