The Pill Cockroach
(8-10 minutes of informative reading)
By Mark Tan . NBW Pest Control Singapore .
By Mark Tan . NBW Pest Control Singapore .
What are cockroaches to you?
Got the impression that cockroaches are nothing but pest and urban destroyers that spread diseases and cause nothing but mayhem wherever they go to? Well. You are certainly not alone on this.
As much as some may appear hideous; distasteful to the degree of being moderately disgusting, you may be real surprised to know that only less than 1% (about 30 species) of the 4600 species of cockroaches in the world, are really classified as pests. In fact there are really interesting facets to the special traits of different breeds of the cockroach family that may surprised even you; like I did when I was first delving into this bizarrely attractive world of the cockroaches.
Say for an example, have you actually heard of the pancake cockroach that flattens itself onto the surface ground; clinging on tightly to whatever's underneath for its dear life, in order to protect itself from being ferried off by potential predators? Or the peculiar trait of yet another unheard group of cockroaches that has the ability to being able to roll up or curl into a sphere-like shape that resembles a ball when its life is being threatened? This I am referring to the genus Perisphaerus (Perisphaerinae), also better known as the pill cockroach, whom will be the main character that we are covering in depth today.
As much as some may appear hideous; distasteful to the degree of being moderately disgusting, you may be real surprised to know that only less than 1% (about 30 species) of the 4600 species of cockroaches in the world, are really classified as pests. In fact there are really interesting facets to the special traits of different breeds of the cockroach family that may surprised even you; like I did when I was first delving into this bizarrely attractive world of the cockroaches.
Say for an example, have you actually heard of the pancake cockroach that flattens itself onto the surface ground; clinging on tightly to whatever's underneath for its dear life, in order to protect itself from being ferried off by potential predators? Or the peculiar trait of yet another unheard group of cockroaches that has the ability to being able to roll up or curl into a sphere-like shape that resembles a ball when its life is being threatened? This I am referring to the genus Perisphaerus (Perisphaerinae), also better known as the pill cockroach, whom will be the main character that we are covering in depth today.
Origins of the Pill Cockroaches
The pill cockroach or species of the genus Perisphaerus (Perisphaerinae) group can be mostly found in the South-East Asia region and also Australasia; or the 'south of Asia', which comprises mainly of New Zealand; Australia; the island of New Guinea, with inclusion of neighboring islands in the Pacific Ocean region.
It was the year 1831 where Paris based famous French entomologist, Jean Audinet-Serville first gave the creature a French name: Périsphère, a befitting name that surely came from it's defensive appearance. You see, sphère is in fact the French translation of 'sphere' although it may look or even sounds the same. The naming process however eventually evolved to what was known to be a more legitimate scientific sounding Latin name of 'Perisphaerus'.
It was the year 1831 where Paris based famous French entomologist, Jean Audinet-Serville first gave the creature a French name: Périsphère, a befitting name that surely came from it's defensive appearance. You see, sphère is in fact the French translation of 'sphere' although it may look or even sounds the same. The naming process however eventually evolved to what was known to be a more legitimate scientific sounding Latin name of 'Perisphaerus'.
In fact it resembles instead much more like what a mammalian animal would do: by suckling and nurturing closely; intimately its young from birth onwards.
While the males look and act like the average urban cockroaches that we commonly see, the female version of the pill cockroaches looks vastly different. Equip with no natural wings like its manly counterparts, the mother pill cockroach resembles more like a giant pill-shaped; millipede-like creature when in its natural state. In a vast contrast to the mortifying response of the usual onlookers to a common household cockroach, the pill cockroach's unique appearance coverts much positive reviews on the world wide web with some coming as far as describing them as even cute or ridiculously adorable.
Well, looking at the photos above, it sure does seems like the pill cockroach has a shades on, doesn't it?
Well, looking at the photos above, it sure does seems like the pill cockroach has a shades on, doesn't it?
Nymphs
The nymphs of the pill cockroaches are borne uniquely blind; in a white-like transparent state; and has tubular mouthparts that protrude out. Amongst the more than 4600 known species of cockroaches, only those in the genus Perisphaerus nymphs have a unique feature as such like the drinking straw resembling mouthpieces.
The nymphs can be commonly found clinging beneath the mother pill cockroaches for the first two instars or also known as the growth development stages of insect or an invertebrate animal. This good positioning sense of the nymphs also facilitates a natural state of protection when faced with any threat as the parent pill cockroach could simply rolls up in a coil in the face of danger; and is able to shelter all her nymphs within her multiple legs, acting as a fortress for both itself and its offspring.
The nymphs can be commonly found clinging beneath the mother pill cockroaches for the first two instars or also known as the growth development stages of insect or an invertebrate animal. This good positioning sense of the nymphs also facilitates a natural state of protection when faced with any threat as the parent pill cockroach could simply rolls up in a coil in the face of danger; and is able to shelter all her nymphs within her multiple legs, acting as a fortress for both itself and its offspring.
A large part of the general public has long been programmed by this common mainstream concoction of programmed thinking to be fearful or to even have a certain distaste or distancing from any; every type of cockroaches on this planet.
Distinctly Mammalian?
While most insects simply leave their offspring to fend for themselves in the wake of birthing them in the form of eggs, cockroaches of the genus Perisphaerus species or the pill cockroaches behave very much differently. In fact it resembles instead much more like what a mammalian animal would do: by suckling and nurturing closely; intimately its young from birth onwards. This would continue much later until the third instar stage of development when the nymphs starts developing visual and identifiable pigmentation to its body parts.
The female roaches in this genus has distinctly four apertures or orifices on their undersides where the well positioned nymphs could readily insert their tubular mouthpieces within to collect the required nourishment or nutrients required for its growth. This till date, however, is still very much conceived as a disputable truth, as there are no living specimens nor actual live footage taken of the feeding process in action yet. Though it would take much more than a coincidence to dispute the fact as to why the diameter/shape of the elliptical cavities beneath the mother pill cockroach matches exactly to the ends of the individual nymph’s mouthpieces.
The female roaches in this genus has distinctly four apertures or orifices on their undersides where the well positioned nymphs could readily insert their tubular mouthpieces within to collect the required nourishment or nutrients required for its growth. This till date, however, is still very much conceived as a disputable truth, as there are no living specimens nor actual live footage taken of the feeding process in action yet. Though it would take much more than a coincidence to dispute the fact as to why the diameter/shape of the elliptical cavities beneath the mother pill cockroach matches exactly to the ends of the individual nymph’s mouthpieces.
Capping things off, I hope this was an interesting and insightful piece of reading to you like it was to us, the resident writers @ NBW Pest Control Singapore. A large part of the general public has long been programmed by this common mainstream concoction of programmed thinking to be fearful or to even have a certain distaste or distancing from any; and every type of cockroaches on this planet. We hope we might have distilled that train of thought just a little bit.
Now, what cockroaches are to YOU?
