Domino cockroach
The domino cockroach is a round, shiny black cockroach with white spots, just like a domino tile. It lives on the ground in the bushy forests of southern India. In the hot middle of the day it digs under leaves or loose soil to stay cool.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
Its black and white pattern copies a fierce ground beetle that can spray stinging chemicals, so hungry animals leave it alone.
Its wing covers are not the same on both sides, but when they are closed the spots line up neatly.
It is busy in the early morning and late evening, and has special simple eyes that help it sense the light and the time of day.
When it is scared, it lifts its wings and lets out a smell that warns other cockroaches.
Its babies live hidden in the ground and can dig 30 centimetres deep when it is dry.
Most asked questions about Domino cockroach
?Is the domino cockroach a pest?
No. It lives outdoors in the forests of southern India, not in houses.
?Why does the domino cockroach have white spots?
Its pattern copies a ground beetle that can spray stinging chemicals, so animals think twice before eating it.
?Can you keep a domino cockroach as a pet?
Domino cockroaches are popular pets and easy to keep, but the ones in pet shops may be a close cousin.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Therea petiveriana
- Named by
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Group
- Cockroaches and termites
- Family
- Corydiidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Blattodea > Corydiidae
- Lives on
- Asia
- Also known as
- Desert cockroach, Seven-spotted cockroach, Indian domino cockroach
Where the facts come from
- Therea petiveriana (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 Shyamal. 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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