by Janell Cannon, from Crickwing (2000)
by Janell Cannon, from Crickwing (2000)
by Maria Sibylla Merian, from Dissertation in Insect Generations and Metamorphosis in Surinam (1719)
from Cockroaches: Ecology, Behavior, and Natural History by William J. Bell, Louis M. Roth, and Christine A. Nalepa
This is cockroach milk, a substance certain species of cockroaches produce immediately after gaiving live birth to their young. As the name implies, the nymphs eat it soon after being born, but this time they left it alone long enough for me to get a good picture of it. The flaky thing next to the glob of milk is the discarded egg casing. There’s been a lot of reports on cockroach milk, but it’s surprisingly hard to find any images of it, so I thought I’d share.
Salganea taiwanesis cockroaches eating each other’s wings after mating, by Haruka Osaki
In a rare display of mutually beneficial sexual cannibalism, these cockroaches often partially or wholly consume their mates’ wings after mating. Afterwards, both cockroaches raise their young in a rotten log, where they will spend the rest of their lives. Although this behavior provides little nutritional benefit, wings can be an inconvenience when moving around in a tight space, and can attract mold or mites. Through cannibalism, these cockroaches help each other to survive.