| Lucihormetica verrucosa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male | |
 | |
| Female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Blattodea |
| Family: | Blaberidae |
| Genus: | Lucihormetica |
| Species: | L. verrucosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Lucihormetica verrucosa (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865) [1] | |
Lucihormetica verrucosa is a species of giant cockroach in the family Blaberidae, commonly known as the warty glowspot cockroach. It is native to Venezuela and Colombia.
L. verrucosa grows to a length of about 4 cm (1.6 in) and is mainly black or dark brown with a white margin to the dorsal sclerites. It is sexually dimorphic, with males being slightly smaller than females and having a pair of large, usually yellow spots on the pronotum. [2] These are covered by a thin translucent cuticle and have traditionally been thought to be luminescent organs. [3] However researchers noticed that when in captivity these cockroaches were fed on carrots, the colour of the spots deepened to orange or even red. On closer examination the surface of the cuticle bears a number of small knobs each bearing a small mechanoreceptor. The upper surface of the spots is partially obscured by a pad of enlarged fat body cells which accumulate carotenoids on a diet of carrots. Insects are unable to synthesize carotenoids and the presence of orange or red spots may indicate a well-fed, fit individual. The researchers found no evidence of light emission but hypothesized that the pigmented spots may play a part in male aggression or mate choice by the female, or may provide warning signals. [4]
L. verrucosa is native to Venezuela and Colombia. [2]
Both sexes of L. verrucosa have short wings but dwell on the ground and are reluctant to fly. It is mainly nocturnal and hides during the day. It is ovoviviparous, the female giving birth to about twenty dark-coloured nymphs 2 to 3 millimetres (0.079 to 0.118 in) long. [2]
Courtship usually starts with the male stimulating the female, first with his antennae then with his palps. He then pursues her, pushes her, tries to climb on her back and raises his wings. She may run away or she may allow herself to be pushed and starts palpating the male's abdomen with her palps, climbs on the male and allows him to grasp her genitalia, dismounts sideways and turns through 180° so that the pair are linked at the tip of the abdomen. Copulation usually lasts for about an hour. Not every courtship resulted in a mating, the female often turns away half way through, or may climb on the back of the male without proceeding to copulation. Unlike other cockroaches such as the Pacific beetle cockroach ( Diploptera punctata ) and the orange-headed cockroach ( Eublaberus posticus), the females are not receptive just after moulting and it is about twenty days later that they become receptive, by which time their cuticle is well-hardened. [4]
The brown-banded cockroach is a species of small cockroach, measuring about 10 to 14 mm long and the most well-known in the genus Supella. It is tan to light brown and has two light-colored bands across the wings and abdomen, they may sometimes appear to be broken or irregular but are quite noticeable. The bands may be partly obscured by the wings. The male has wings that cover the abdomen, while the female has wings that do not cover the abdomen completely. The male appears more slender than the female, the female appears wider.
Dryas iulia, commonly called the Julia butterfly, Julia heliconian, the flame, or flambeau, is a species of brush-footed butterfly. The sole representative of its genus Dryas, it is native from Brazil to southern Texas and Florida, and in summer can sometimes be found as far north as eastern Nebraska. Over 15 subspecies have been described.
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Hentzia is a genus of the spider family Salticidae subfamily Dendryphantinae. The genus is widespread in North America and northern South America but the center of biodiversity seems to be primarily in the Caribbean and surrounding areas, with the greatest species diversity occurring in Cuba, which has seven species. Some outlier species, such as Hentzia poenitens and Hentzia fimbriata are found in western North America. It appears to be closely related to the genus Anicius from which it differs primarily in certain anatomical details.
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Lucihormetica is a South American genus of giant cockroaches from the family Blaberidae, collectively referred to as glowspot cockroaches. It has been anecdotally reported that the thoracic spots of males are bioluminescent, but detailed research has been unable to conclusively prove this, although evidence for autofluorescence exists. The genus includes both relatively common and rare species: For example, L. verrucosa is relatively common and sometimes kept in captivity, while eight of the remaining species only are known from a single specimen each.
Lucihormetica luckae is a species of giant cockroach (Blaberidae) from Ecuador.
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