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.
A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to southern Europe, Africa and Asia, whereas the Mungotinae comprises 11 species native to Africa. The Herpestidae originated about 21.8 ± 3.6 million years ago in the Early Miocene and genetically diverged into two main genetic lineages between 19.1 and 18.5 ± 3.5 million years ago.
Giant cockroaches, or blaberids are the second-largest cockroach family by number of species.
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.
The red-tailed vanga is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is endemic to Madagascar.
Dexiinae is a subfamily of flies in the family Tachinidae.
Eryciini is a tribe of flies in the family Tachinidae
Pachygastrinae is a subfamily of flies in the family Stratiomyidae.
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.
Gromphadorhina is a genus of large, flightless cockroaches from southern Madagascar. They are part of the tribe Gromphadorhini, and common in the pet trade. In the older literature, the name is sometimes misspelled as Gromphadorrhina.
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.
Blabericolidae is a family of parasitic alveolates in the phylum Apicomplexia.
Charles Antoine Domergue was a French naturalist, ornithologist, herpetologist, spelunker and geologist who spent much of his life in Madagascar. He also dealt with the effects of pollution.
Eumolpini is a tribe of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is the largest tribe in the subfamily, with approximately 170 genera found worldwide. Members of the tribe almost always have a longitudinal median groove on the pygidium, which possibly helps to keep the elytra locked at rest. They also generally have a subglabrous body, as well as appendiculate pretarsal claws.
Typophorini is a tribe of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. The tribe contains approximately 100 genera, which are found worldwide. Members of the tribe are mainly characterized by notches on the tibiae of the middle and hind legs, which are sometimes referred to as antenna cleaners. They also generally have a subglabrous body, as well as bifid pretarsal claws.
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.
