Europa Island, in Malagasy Nosy Ampela is a 28-square-kilometre (11 sq mi) low-lying tropical atoll in the Mozambique Channel, about a third of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique. The island had never been inhabited until 1820, when the French family Rosier moved to it. The island officially became a possession of France in 1897.
Giant cockroaches, or blaberids, are the second-largest cockroach family by number of species. Mostly distributed in warmer climates worldwide, this family is based on the American genus Blaberus, but much of the diversity is also found in Africa and Asia.
The Madagascar hissing cockroach, also known as the hissing cockroach or simply hisser, is one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 5 to 7.5 centimetres at maturity. They are native to the island of Madagascar, which is off the African mainland, where they are commonly found in rotting logs. It is one of some 20 known species of large hissing roaches from Madagascar, many of which are kept as pets, and often confused with one another by pet dealers; in particular, G. portentosa is commonly confused with G. oblongonota and G. picea.
Cockroaches are insects belonging to the order Blattodea (Blattaria). About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known as pests.
The giant burrowing cockroach is also known as the rhinoceros cockroach, and Queensland giant cockroach. These cockroaches are native to Australia and mostly found in tropical and subtropical parts of Queensland. They are the world's heaviest species of cockroach and can weigh up to 30-35 grams and measure up to 7.5-8 cm (3.1 in) in length. It is a member of the family Blaberidae, which contains hundreds of species. It is part of the blaberid subfamily Geoscapheinae. It is prominent in the wild and can also be sold and kept as a pet.
Androlaelaps schaeferi is a mite that lives on the Madagascar hissing cockroach. While it was formerly believed that it sucks body fluid from its host, coloring experiments have shown that this is false. Instead, it takes part in its host's meal. They are usually concentrated between the host's legs and around the spiracles.
The northern sportive lemur, also known as the Sahafary sportive lemur or northern weasel lemur, is a species of lemur in the family Lepilemuridae. It is endemic to Madagascar. As a result of severe ecological and human pressures, the lemur is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) by the IUCN Red List.
Because of their long, persistent association with humans, cockroaches are frequently referred to in art, literature, folk tales and theater and film. In Western culture, cockroaches are often depicted as vile and dirty pests. Their size, long antennae, shiny appearance and spiny legs make them disgusting to many humans, sometimes even to the point of phobic responses.
Live insect jewelry refers to jewelry made from living creatures – usually bejeweled oversized insects – which is worn as a fashion accessory. The use of insects as live jewelry has existed for many centuries, with the Egyptians believed to have been the first to have worn insects as jewelry. Ancient Egyptian soldiers commonly wore scarab beetles into battle as the beetles were considered to have supernatural powers of protection against enemies.
Gromphadorhina oblongonota, the wide-horned hisser, is a large, flightless species of hissing cockroach from southern Madagascar, and one of four members of the genus Gromphadorhina. This species is common in the pet trade, but it is difficult to distinguish from G. portentosa and is commonly confused with it, although oblongonota tends to be significantly larger and somewhat darker than portentosa.
Gromphadorhini, the hissing cockroaches, is a tribe of large, flightless cockroaches comprising 20 known species in six genera, all but one from the island of Madagascar where they inhabit wood, leaf litter or rocky crevices in forest or woodland; the one exception, Elliptorhina lefeuvri, being from Europa Island off the coast of Madagascar. Many of the species are popular in the pet trade.
Eublaberus distanti, known as the six-spotted, four-spotted, four-spot, or Trinidad bat-cave roach or cockroach, is a primarily cave-dwelling Central and South American cockroach of the genus Eublaberus.
Thorax porcellana Saussure is a species of epilamprid cockroach occurring in Sri Lanka and India. Both sexes are fully winged, but only the male takes flight, and then rarely and on short flights.
Blabericolidae is a family of parasitic alveolates in the phylum Apicomplexia.
Catantops is a genus of grasshoppers in the tribe Catantopini and is typical of the subfamily Catantopinae. Species can be found in Africa, including Madagascar and subcontinental India.
Pseudorhynchus is an Asian genus of bush crickets in the tribe Copiphorini, belonging to the 'conehead' subfamily Conocephalinae.
Elliptorhina is a genus of large, flightless cockroaches that are part of the tribe Gromphadorhini. There are ten known species, nine of those found on the island of Madagascar and one, Elliptorhina lefeuvri, found on Europa Island. Some of its species are regularly seen in the pet trade.
Elliptorhina javanica, also known as the Halloween hisser, is a large species of wingless cockroach native to the island of Madagascar.
Princisia vanwaerebeki, commonly known as the vibrant hisser, is a large, flightless species of hissing cockroach in the family Blaberidae, and the only member of the genus Princisia. It is endemic to southeastern Madagascar, and sometimes seen in the pet trade.
Gyna, also called porcelain roaches, are a genus of cockroaches native to Africa.
