LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A team of researchers at Michigan State University have discovered a new species of cockroach. This is the first time a species from this family has been found in the western hemisphere.
Named Nocticola vagus, three females of this species were found in Florida. Nocticolidae species are also found in the exotic pet trade and at a zoo in Austria. These species are not considered pests.
MSU entomology graduate student Junkai Wang and advisor Anthony Cognato made the discovery.
What makes Nocticola vagus unique is that it can reproduce without males – a rare trait among cockroaches and entirely unique in its genus. Scientists believe this ability helped it spread far from its original home, likely hitching a ride in the soil of potted plants…