Cockroaches—The Right Creatures for the Job

One day, when I was on my way
to the shower, an adult smokybrown
cockroach sitting atop
the bathroom door found itself in a
freefall. Too surprised to use its wings,
the roach managed to snag my skin
just above the waistband on my right
side. It sprinted halfway to my left
side before I nabbed the beastie. After
examining it closely, I said to myself,
“Ah, a smokybrown cockroach.” Had I
encountered the roach prior to earning
my master’s degree in entomology (the
study of insects), my response would
have been considerably more dramatic.
But because I had studied its intricacy,
I could calmly assess the roach.

Our first instinct is to recoil at
cockroaches because of their “creepy”
appearance; their tendency to spread
disease and aggravate asthma; and, of
course, their propensity to set up shop
where we don’t want them. But when
we resist our revulsion and learn about
these much-maligned insects, we find
not malevolent fiends skulking in dark
corners, but creatures equipped by
God to perform a critical function in
our fallen world.

Someone’s Got To Do It

Most of the 4,600 cockroach species
are inoffensive omnivores performing
a vital ecological job on the earth’s
cleanup crew. In the garden of Eden,
roaches probably did what they still
do best—break down plant matter. But
since Adam’s fall brought sin and death
into the world, roaches now also consume
dead animal matter in habitats
ranging from the Arctic to the Tropics.

But roaches do more than clean up
the debris of death. Decaying matter
holds nitrogen. After eating the refuse,
roaches release that nitrogen into the
soil through their feces, nourishing
plants and trees.

Orange-Spotted Cockroach (Blaptica dubia)

Not Just Another Ugly Face

The variety among cockroach species
is astounding. Some species rival
the beauty of butterflies, such as the
black-and-white domino cockroach
in India, the grass green Cuban cockroach,
and an Australian cockroach
with blue legs and yellow stripes.

Cuban Cockroach (Panchlora nivea)

Roaches also vary in size, from the
brown-banded cockroach about the
size of a penny to the Central American
giant cave cockroach measuring
almost four inches long.

Built for Survival

Despite such diversity, every cockroach
species’ body plan is quite similar.
The jointed exoskeleton is supportive
while remaining flexible and flat,
allowing roaches to access small crevices
(where the best food crumbs hang
out). The thorax has three segments.
The upper surface of the first segment
has a protective shield (pronotum) that
overhangs the head like a hoodie, giving
roaches a shifty, disreputable look.

Domino Cockroach (Therea petiveriana)

From their heads sprout long antennae
covered with sensory receptors.
They wave them about, constantly
“smelling” and “tasting” their usually
dark environment. Though we think of
roaches as the ultimate dirty creatures,
they routinely clean their antennae to
keep their senses sharp.

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa)

Poking from their posterior, a pair of
short antennae-like extensions (cerci)
are loaded with sensory receptors particularly
sensitive to air movement.
When you enter a room, a roach can
sense the puff of air and dive for cover
in a fraction of a second.

Most cockroaches move like air-hockey
pucks, making sharp turns
without slowing down. Their six legs
are designed for tremendous acceleration
and speed on even vertical and
inverted surfaces. Roaches have been
clocked at 3.4 mph—that’s equal to a
person running 210 mph.

Legends in Their Time

Death’s Head Cockroach (Blaberus craniifer)

A flexible exoskeleton allows roaches
to withstand pressure more than 900
times their own weight, explaining how
they can sometimes crawl away even
after being stomped.

They also don’t easily drown. By
closing the holes (spiracles) on their
thorax and abdomen, roaches can
hold their breath for up to 40 minutes,
safely navigating watery habitats, such
as your bathroom drain.

But perhaps the real design superpower
is their ability to adapt to whatever
insecticides we throw at them.
When scientists recently sequenced
the genome of the German and American
cockroach species, they found
expanded genes dedicated to taste and
smell, helping roaches avoid chowing
down on many toxins. But even if
roaches wind up consuming toxins,
they can also cut, shuffle, and splice
their genes to produce an array of
detoxifying enzymes.

As scavengers who consume refuse
in unspeakably unsanitary conditions,
it comes as no surprise that roaches
are also designed to concoct their own
antibiotics to kill any pathogenic bacteria
that they may ingest. In addition
to all this, their digestive system contains
bacteria that convert waste into
nutrients.

Why Do We Hate Them?

While around 30 cockroach species
have carved a niche in human
dwellings, only a handful are considered
widespread pests. Nevertheless,
the repugnant reputation of a few
pest species have given the rest a bad
name. But their unwanted presence is
often our fault for not keeping a clean
house. Should we expect roaches to
turn down free food and lodging?

Because nature and humans often
clash in our fallen world, we should
certainly practice dominion over
these creatures by exterminating
when we must. But rather than vilify
cockroaches, we should recognize that
the Creator exquisitely equipped them
to bring him glory. The next time you
step on a roach in your house, remember,
it might be in the wrong place at
the wrong time, but it’s the right creature
for the job God gave it to do when
it’s in the right place.

Did You Know . . .

Illustration by Dave Mottram

Cockroaches can withstand high
levels of radiation thanks to their slow
cell renewal cycle.

Some cockroaches can hold
their breath for 40 minutes.

Unlike other cockroaches, the Japanese
cockroach can walk on ice and survive
freeze-thaw cycles.

Because roaches can fight MRSA and E. coli, scientists hope to use their
research on roaches to create antibiotics for humans to fight the same bacteria.

Roaches have inspired designs for microrobotics and prosthetics.

Many roach species have wings, but some of them simply glide, and
others fly only short distances.

Cockroaches don’t breathe through
their mouth but through holes
(spiracles) on their thorax and abdomen.

Cockroaches can consume
almost anything, even stuff
that isn’t considered food, such
as soap, glue, leather, and hair.

Illustration by Dave Mottram

SourceThis article originally appeared on answersingenesis.org

Views: 11