Natural History
LIFE: Madagascar hissing cockroaches are very large cockroaches and are about 2 to 3 inches long and 1 inch wide (Franklin Park Zoo, 2020). They are oval-shaped with a shiny brown coloration on the topside of their body. To distinguish between male and female, people look at their thorax. The males possess large horn-like bumps called pronotal humps. Males are also more territorial and tend to fight unlike females. Both can hiss, but the males hissing are usually louder. During reproduction the female hissing cockroach creates an egg-like sac called an ootheca that is held within the body until the eggs hatch. These hatchlings are called Nymphs and they reach sexual maturity on the last of the sixth molt. HABITAT and RANGE: These cockroaches are native to the island of Madagascar, which is an island off the southeastern coast of Africa. Madagascar cockroaches lay beneath fallen leaves and rotting logs during the day, and they scavenge for food at night. DIET: Madagascar hissing cockroaches are omnivorous as they eat mainly fruits, animal carcasses, and other plant materials. They help get rid of decaying matter which is vital to our ecosystem. CONSERVATION STATUS: The Madagascar hissing cockroach is on the least concern list. SOURCE: Franklin Park Zoo. Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. (2020). Retrieved August 7, 2020, from https://www.zoonewengland.org/franklin-parkzoo/ our-animals/insects-spiders/madagascar-hissingcockroach/ |
Life History of Hartman Reserve’s
Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches Hartman Reserves Nature Center’s Madagascar hissing cockroaches came from Polk County Conservation in 2019 to be a part of our educational team. We can distinguish between males and females because male Madagascar hissing cockroaches have little bumps on the top of their head that resembles tiny horns, and females are flatter. Continue reading to learn more about these animal ambassadors! SCIENTIFIC NAME: GROMPHADORHINA PORTENTOSA This project was developed by Skyla Harger. She served as our AmeriCorps summer intern in 2020. |