Lobster Roaches Also Do Hissing Behaviour !!

TiercelR

TiercelR

Third Instar
Hi, anyone had noted this hissing behaviour in the lobster roaches when they are pick with the hands ??

The mature lobster roaches do it as same as the madagascan ones, but the hissing of the lobster roaches is done in a low volume range in comparission to their african cousins, maybe as a self defense method against their predators. Thanks.

 
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It's called stridulation, they are rubbing their wings against their abdomen or something of the sort. It's similar to how a cricket chirps. The giant lobster roach (Henschoutedenia flexivitta) does it too, just a bit louder.

Hissers actually expel air through their breathing spiracles to make their characteristic "hiss".

 
I have heard strange sounds coming from a few of my Blaberus, and my Eurycotis floridana like to squeak sometimes, even if they are not releasing defensive odors. :mellow:

I thought at first that the E. floridana were squeaking to expel the odor, but most of the time I smell nothing after hearing the sound coming from some adults. :huh:

 
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In the Blaberus sp. and Archimandrita tesselata it is probably the noise of either the defensive odors being discharged or actual forceful expulsion of air through the spiracles as seen in hissers.

Henschoutedenia, Nauphoeta, and Rhyparobia squeak by pinching their pronotum against a ridge that is on (I believe) the mesothorax.

 
Hi, many thanks to all you for your commentaries !

Its very interesting to hear that many more species do particular noises. I do not knowed that already.

I have seen the loabster roaches doing their stridulation movements with their wings while a male want to impress a female, or while two males are fighting.

But if you pick up an adult in your hands and you keep their wings holded with a good grip, and the roach is turned with its legs upside, so is when the hissing behaviour is showed while their wings can´t move.

This sound appear to be doed by the pass of air much more than for the vibration of their wings (stridulation). Thanks, regards.

 
I've been hearing what I believe to be stridulation from my small G. lurida colony. At first, I thought that the noise may just be from the nearby crickets; however, they're all nymphs. After this last feeding, I'm now certain the noise has been emanating from the pile of oak leaves in the roach bin. I'm also certain that nothing but G.lurida reside within those leaves. The sound is not high like that of a cricket chirp; it is more of a low groan, and it is not all that repetitous. Please forgive me if this is common knowledge, but when I kept this species before, I don't remember hearing it. Can anyone confirm this observation? Thanks in advance!

 
I've noticed stridulations with the Blaberus genus (Blaberus craniifer). I think it's a way to intimidate an other roach or something, males are using it while or before fighting ;)

 
From my colony of Lobster and Giant Cave Roaches, I have not witnessed the stridulaion behavior at all. I spend a few hours per day within a few feet of the container in which I house these roaches. I have noticed the "Chili-like" odor emiited by the Giants as I try to pick one up or move it to another spot for feeding purposes. I have Hiisers also but I think they are too young to hiss yet.

 
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