Death's head cockroach
The death's head cockroach is a big cockroach with a funny pattern behind its head that looks like a little skull. Its wings have a black mark like a cloak. It lives on the forest floor and many people keep it as a pet.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
Cockroaches like this one have a tiny extra heart in each feeler to pump blood through them.
When an enemy comes near, it digs itself into soft ground with its head to hide.
The grown-ups have wings with pink flying muscles, but they usually only glide a short way.
The mother keeps her eggs in a pouch inside her body for about two months, until the babies are ready.
It can grow back some parts of a hurt leg.
Most asked questions about Death's head cockroach
?Is the death's head cockroach dangerous?
No. It is a calm insect that people often keep as a pet.
?Why is it called death's head?
Because the pattern behind its head looks like a skull.
?What does a death's head cockroach eat?
In the wild it eats leaves and other bits of food it finds. Pets eat fruit and vegetables.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Blaberus craniifer
- Group
- Cockroaches and termites
- Family
- Blaberidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Blattodea > Blaberidae
- Lives on
- North America
Where the facts come from
- Death's head cockroach (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Acrocynus. CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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