Appearance
"B. giganteus" is considered one of the largest cockroaches in the world, with males growing to reach lengths of 7.5 cm and females 10 cm. These cockroaches are lightly built with flattened bodies, allowing them to hide in cracks from predators. Their bodies are brown with black markings. The wingspan of these insects is usually 5-6 in. Both males and females bear paired appendages on the last abdominal segment, but only the males have a pair of tiny hair-like appendages called styli. Adults bear two pairs of wings folding back over the abdomen. The heavier females are less likely to fly. These cockroaches are closely related to the first winged insects that lived in the Carboniferous coal forests about 200 million years ago.
Distribution
This species is endemic to Central America and northern South America, and can be found in the rainforests, in Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Habitat preferences include areas of high moisture and little light, such as caves, tree hollows, and cracks in rocks.
Habitat
This species is endemic to Central America and northern South America, and can be found in the rainforests, in Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Habitat preferences include areas of high moisture and little light, such as caves, tree hollows, and cracks in rocks.Food
"B. giganteus" is a nocturnal omnivore and a scavenger, but the majority of its diet is decaying plant material. Other food choices include bat guano, fruit, seeds, and carrion. It is often associated with bats roosts, both in caves and hollow trees.Defense
When exposed to infection or invasion of various microorganisms, insects have two general responses of their immune systems. In "B. giganteus", such an invasion elicits a humoral response, where specific proteins are produced or activated by the existence of a pathogen. The fat body, which is usually associated with storing and releasing energy depending on demands, induces several novel proteins when confronted with fungal cell walls. The giant cockroach exhibits adaptive humoral responses, which means their immune response has a specific memory similar to what can be found in mammalian immune systems. This is beneficial for long-lived individuals, as they have increased chances of encountering the same infection numerous times. The biological significance of these proteins is yet to be determined, but they are known to play a role in defense against fungal infections.References:
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