Stats

Lifespan: About 1 yr
Size: Large
Diet: Omnivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Subtropical woodland
Range: Southeastern North America
Movement: Walking
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

Also called the "palmetto bug," this large, wingless cockroach defends itself by spraying a foul-smelling chemical from glands at the tip of its abdomen when threatened. It prefers to run rather than fly, since unlike many of its relatives it never develops functional wings.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2.
juvenile
An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3.
subadult
A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4.
adult
Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Family: Blattidae
Genus: Eurycotis
Species: Eurycotis floridana