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Madagascar Hissing Cockroach: Gromphadorhina portentosa
In the Wild
Description:
Brown-black insect with 6 legs, antennae and no wings
Size: About 2.5 inches long
Weight: About 40 grams
Habitat and Range:
Native to the island of Madagascar – are an endemic species (are only found on
Madagascar)
Live in tropical lowland forests, rainforests
Primarily found on the forest floor
Diet
Detritivores: Eat decaying plant and animal matter; may also eat smaller insects
Adaptations
Hiss by expelling air through spiracles – holes in the sides of the abdomen
o Adult males hiss during aggressive encounters and during courtship and mating
o Females and late-stage nymphs hiss only when disturbed or threatened
o Hiss is their defense against predators
o Hiss can be heard up to 12 feet away
Males have “horns” (females may also, but much less pronounced)
o Called pronatal humps
o Males ram each other when vying for females
Defensive stance where they lean to one side on their toes is called “stilting”
“Hooked” feet are perfect for climbing
Flattened body is good for navigating narrow places
Brown coloring provides camouflage
Lifespan
Typically live 2-5 years
Ecosystem relationships
Decomposers – help “recycle” and keep waste at a minimum
Prey for many animals, including ground-feeding birds, tenrecs (a mammal similar to
shrews and hedgehogs but endemic to Madagascar) and arachnids
Reproduction
Breed year round
Females are ovoviviparous, meaning they bear live young
o Gestation lasts about 2 months
o Females create an “ootheca,” a cocoon-like egg-case to carry the eggs and
neonatal nymphs inside their bodies
1/10/2014
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach: Gromphadorhina portentosa
o May bear up to 60 nymphs
Nymphs reach maturity in 5-10 months, or usually after 6 molts
Incomplete metamorphosis: egg nymph adult
Activity
Nocturnal
Other “fun facts”
3,000-4,000 species of cockroaches exist
99% of cockroach species, including Madagascar hissing cockroaches, are not
considered pests
Have no wings and therefore cannot fly
Nearest relatives include mantids, grasshoppers, stick insects and termites
Known as “living fossils”, these insects are very similar to the prehistoric cockroaches
that lived on Earth long before the dinosaurs
People eat hissing cockroaches too!
o High in protein
o Eating insects is called “Entomophagy”
Conservation Status and Threats:
Not-listed by the IUCN
Although they are not endangered, they are an important part of the ecosystem of the
rainforest habitat where they live
At the Zoo
The current group of roaches was first acquired in 2005 and has been added to several times
since.
What We Can Do
Make environmentally responsible lifestyle decisions to help conserve habitat –
conserve energy, reduce litter and pollution
References:
Buchsbaum, Ralph. Animals without Backbones. Third ed. Chicago: University of
Chicago, 1987. Print.
Grzimek, Bernhard. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Van Nostrand
Reinhold, 1972. Print. Insects.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/madagascar-hissing-cockroach.
html
http://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/assets/uploads/animals/pdf/Madagascar%20Hissing
%20Coc
kroach.pdf
http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef014.asp
1/10/2014
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore