Common shining cockroach

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Common shining cockroach
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Family: Blattidae
Genus: Drymaplaneta
Species:
D. communis
Binomial name
Drymaplaneta communis
Tepper, 1893

The common shining cockroach (Drymaplaneta communis) is a cockroach native to south-east Australia.[1] It feeds on organic matter and is often found under the bark of eucalypt trees. During the late 1990s and 2000s, this cockroach appears to have had a population explosion in Sydney and Melbourne and is commonly found inside houses.[2] This population increase likely coincides with an extended dry period, where many suburban gardeners added mulch to their gardens which provided a habitat for the common shining cockroach.[3] Despite commonly being found inside houses, the common shining cockroach does not pose the same health risk as introduced cockroaches.[4][5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Rentz, D.C.F. 1996. Grasshopper Country. The abundant orthopteroid insects of Australia. p56. UNSW Press.
  2. ^ Walker, K. (2007) common shining cockroach (Drymaplaneta communis) Pest and Diseases Image Library. PaDIL"
  3. ^ Binnie, C. (2009) Cockroaches rampant in Melbourne's western suburbs, Herald Sun. Accessed 2014-02-15
  4. ^ Common Shining Cockroach (Drymaplaneta communis), Oz Animals. Accessed 2014-02-15
  5. ^ Aussie cockies more guests than pests, 2 February 2008 The Age