Peppered Cockroach

(Archimandrita tessellata)

Seneca Park Zoo raises a colony of peppered cockroaches, both young and old and both males and females.

Animal Facts

Even though peppered cockroaches have wings, they cannot fly.

Cockroaches are ancient species, having evolved before dinosaurs around 350 to 300 million years ago.

Diet

Like other cockroaches, peppered cockroaches are decomposers, meaning they feed on dead and decaying organic matter. They are also omnivorous, feeding on both plant and animal matter.

Status in The Wild

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Peppered cockroaches can be found in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia, where they prefer to live among the leaf litter on the humid forest floor.

Although not yet assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the peppered cockroach is widely regarded as not threatened due to observable large population sizes. As decomposers, these cockroaches are important nutrient-cyclers in the local food chains.