Among rotting vegetation in the tropical and subtropical forests of the island of Madagascar live the largest on Earth cockroaches - Gromphadorhina. Another name for this insect is the Madagascar hissing cockroach. To hissing he is named because if he is disturbed during the mating games, he starts to emit a rather loud hiss like a snake. The hissing sounds of Madagascar cockroaches emit, exhaling air through holes located along the entire body in two rows. Madagascar cockroaches usually have a bright brown color, a pair of mustaches, and they have no wings. In shape, their body resembles an oval. The adult male can reach nine centimeters, and their weight can reach up to sixty grams.
Madagascar cockroaches are insects belonging to the arthropod type, open-jawed subclass, order of cockroach-like genus Gromphadorrhina. They are not pests, and they do not inhabit the dwelling of a person. They live among rotten branches of trees, leaves, mushrooms, fruits and feed mainly the same, as a rule, at night.
The mustache of the Madagascar cockroach is used as a ritual tool to attract a female in the period of courtship. It is interesting to observe how one male during his clashes with another in every possible way tries to bite off his opponent first of all the mustache in order to deprive him of the advantage of showing off before the female. Competitors with their mustaches ram each other, issuing a loud hiss. As a rule, the male victor is hissing louder than the defeated, which indicates his leadership.
Madagascar cockroaches, however, like other cockroaches, are born without appearing from a deferred egg or pupa, but already formed cubs. Female cockroaches carry embryos in their body in a capsule, called ooteca, in which the eggs are in an upright position in two rows and are filled with a frozen protein substance. Itself ooteka to external influences is very stable, can withstand air temperatures below zero and for a long time do not succumb to the effects of pesticides. Sometimes a female under the influence of unfavorable conditions can throw off her precious burden and all the embryos perish. In the case of successful breeding, the cubs are born in two or three months. Usually, the appearance of the cockroaches that appear appears to be limited to thirty individuals, but in some cases, their number may reach up to fifty. Surprisingly, such unpleasant born beings are called the name of the ancient Greek mythological brides - Nymph. After their birth, tiny, soft, white with black eyes, cockroaches after a few hours become brown, and their body becomes hard.
Madagascar cockroaches are popular among insect lovers. At home, keeping them simple. To do this, it is enough to organize their living space in the form of a deep and smooth tank like an aquarium. To feed the cockroach, you can, as they say, by not eating yourself, but since in nature they eat only plant food, then in the cockroach's diet there must be a variety of fruits and vegetables, and most importantly fresh water.
Sadly, many fans keep and breed Madagascar cockroaches as food for reptiles, rodents, amphibians and birds, so they are a link in the food chain of many animals.