Giant Burrowing Cockroach Macropanesthia rhinoceros
What do they look like ? Large , lumbering , wingless , nocturnal insects up to 8 cm long . They have a hard , rich red-brown , shiny ‘ shell ’ or exoskeleton . Mature males have a scoop-like projection above the head . Giant Burrowing Cockroaches have strong spines on their front legs , which look like hands , to dig burrows up to a metre deep . These burrows are conspicuous after rain .
Where do they live ? They favour vine thickets and also inhabit sandy areas that do not flood . They may be common but not obvious , often going unnoticed for years before suddenly appearing en masse when conditions are right . While Giant Burrowing Cockroaches are restricted to more eastern parts of the region , similar species occur throughout the area shown on the map
What do they need to live , eat and breed ? Giant Burrowing Cockroaches feed on dead leaves , which they drag down into the burrow to eat . If they don ’ t make it back to the burrow by day , they rarely survive . The presence of a good leaf litter layer seems to be necessary for the persistence of Giant Burrowing Cockroaches .
When might I see ( or hear ) them ? Giant Burrowing Cockroaches are most obvious at night , especially after good rain on warm nights . After significant early wet season rainfall , some species undergo mass movements . At such times many thousands may get killed on roads .
What management actions affect this species ? Maintaining dense ground cover , especially leaf litter , favours Giant Burrowing Cockroaches . Vine thickets are special areas for Giant Burrowing Cockroaches and keeping fire out of these areas will benefit them . Control pigs as they eat Giant Burrowing Cockroaches and destroy their burrows . Soil compaction , clearing and blade-ploughing all disturb Giant Burrowing Cockroaches , isolating populations from other breeding individuals .
How do they benefit the land I manage ? The deep burrows of Giant Burrowing Cockroaches allow nutrients and oxygen deep into the soil . These spectacular cockroaches perform a critical yet largely undervalued role in nutrient cycling and water infiltration .
Similar species : Other large burrowing cockroaches look similar , but don ’ t reach the massive size of the true Giant Burrowing Cockroach .
35