''Therea petiveriana'', variously called the desert cockroach, seven-spotted cockroach, or Indian domino cockroach, is a species of crepuscular cockroach found in southern India. They are members of a basal group within the cockroaches. This somewhat roundish and contrastingly marked cockroach is mainly found on the ground in scrub forest habitats where they may burrow under leaf litter or loose soil during the heat of the day.
Similar species: Cockroaches And Termites
By sureshachar
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Uploaded Jul 2, 2021. Captured in Unnamed Road, Bagalur, Karnataka 586123, India.
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Beautiful, right?! Believe it or not, this stunning insect is a cockroach! It's an Indian domino cockroach (Therea petiveriana), which lives in scrub forest habitats of southern India.
Their gorgeous pattern is an example of Batesian mimicry: when a harmless species mimics the appearance of a species that is harmful to potential predators. In this case, the Indian domino cockroach is harmless, but mimics the pattern of an aggressive beetle (Anthia sexguttata) that sprays chemical irritants as a defensive strategy. {Spotted in India by sureshachar} #JungleDragon #Indiandominocockroach #Thereapetiveriana
https://www.facebook.com/jungledragonwildlife Posted 4 years ago