#cockroach nymph

[quilbug-cam]

LOOK AT THIS CUTIE!!!! it has little dotted lines🥹

🪲ID Guess: Ellipsidion nymph 🌿Date: September 2025

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Dusky Cockroach - Ectobius lapponicus (nymph)

With a species of Termite finally receiving a proper introduction on this blog and further expanding the scope of the insects found here, it seems best to also give a small reminder of the other individuals within that particular insect order. Moreover, with some fresh images, it offers the chance to contrast and compare the recently added Pacific Dampwood Termite with its distant relatives: the Cockroaches of Blattodea. Furthermore, today's images highlight something new from the realm of Dusky Cockroaches: nymphs, hard as that may be to believe. Despite their small size, these are exceptionally swift runners, but they are not as fast as the adults. As well, being insect nymphs, these individuals rely on running capabilities to evade danger and keep to shaded spots until receiving functional wings upon completion of their final molt. Cross-referencing with other pictures of this species' nymphs, it appears that the sexually dimorphic traits manifest relatively early in their development. As such, it might be possible to determine whether you have found a female or male Roach nymph at a cursory glance, and we appear to have female nymphs here. While female Dusky Roaches tend to keep to this shape and have upturned cerci, the male Roaches don't sport amber coloration in adulthood, and they are more streamlined with short outward cerci. Of course, I could be completely off-base with these nymphs here.

In any case, we can be sure that the specimens found here are nymphs, as the dorsal side of their abdomens are completely exposed due to lack of wings. As mentioned above, this insect will gain wings which cover its abdomen upon completion of an adulthood molt. In the case of Dusky Cockroaches, they are very much capable of flight, and I have seen many instances of this flight during investigations of them within my neighborhood's undergrowth. Interestingly, I've typically witnessed flight during the daylight hours, and when flight had occurred, the landing was usually in a darker area. At nighttime, including when these pictures were taken, mobility is achieved through swift scampering, and even so young, nymphs like this are quick on their tarsal claws. Just to further clarify, however, Roaches as a whole are well-adapted to low light or low visibility conditions, and they thusly benefit from strong night vision for navigation. They are not necessarily adverse to light, but light can stimulate them to move, and in this particular case, the mobile activity from these nymphs was likely due to the camera flash. It seems drastic, but insects must rely on their sensory arrays to keep out of danger. This not only includes visual acuity, but also antennae flicking, and the many leg spines and rear cerci along the body. These features are most definitely visible here, even during the nymph stages.

Pictures were taken on April 29, 2022 with a Google Pixel 4.

[mavisthemae]

Newly moulted native cockroach nymph, no idea what species

[katkalis]

HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE BUGS? Lemme test something. My grandmother said that a roach died after making fourteen turds around itself. I went and looked, and they weren’t turds, but cockroach nymphs instead. Little babies:3 And there’s twenty, not fourteen. Not turds!XD Now for the test: Like if you think this is gross. Reblog if you think this is cute. Or comment. Just curious:)