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Animal profile

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

Gromphadorhina portentosa

InsectaLeaf litter and rotting logs on the forest floor of Madagascar

Field profile

The Madagascar hissing cockroach is a large wingless roach, commonly five to seven centimetres long, with a glossy brown body. Males carry raised horn-like bumps on the thorax and fight over territory. It feeds on decaying plant material and gives birth to live young.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-07-04

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

This cockroach hisses through its breathing holes

Most insect sound is made by rubbing body parts together. The Madagascar hissing cockroach instead forces air out through a pair of modified abdominal spiracles, producing a sound generated by breathing apparatus rather than by friction.

Read with evidence →

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach | Daily Animal Facts