An amazing new 10" cockroach species has been discovered that exceeds the previous longest recorded living cockroach species (at 4") by a full 6"!
This new species was first collected by an entomology student during a university sponsored group survey of an uninhabited island in the Indo-Pacific located near Palauan. The described habitat is dry tropical forest. This mature adults of this new species have only shortened wings that are useless for flight but are marked with bright red crosses underneath. These markings are flashed as a defense against another of the unique Island inhabitants. A small dinosaur-like creature feeds exclusively on this blattid species but can be deterred from feeding when the red cross symbols are displayed. Only those members of the species that are helping other sick cockroaches can display the wing markings. Apparently the markings are universally recognized by the dinosaur-like creatures and only those that fail to display the markings are consumed. The proposed name for the new species is Fictitious aprilfoolicus
This new species was first collected by an entomology student during a university sponsored group survey of an uninhabited island in the Indo-Pacific located near Palauan. The described habitat is dry tropical forest. This mature adults of this new species have only shortened wings that are useless for flight but are marked with bright red crosses underneath. These markings are flashed as a defense against another of the unique Island inhabitants. A small dinosaur-like creature feeds exclusively on this blattid species but can be deterred from feeding when the red cross symbols are displayed. Only those members of the species that are helping other sick cockroaches can display the wing markings. Apparently the markings are universally recognized by the dinosaur-like creatures and only those that fail to display the markings are consumed. The proposed name for the new species is Fictitious aprilfoolicus