The Hissing Antlered Cockroach

The island of Madagascar is a terrifying place as this island rivals Australia as being home to the world’s most terrifying and deadly animals.  One particularly nasty little creature has been given the understandable moniker of the Hissing Cockroach because, you know…it hisses.  Although not deadly, this cockroach is very aggressive towards other roaches as well as various other bugs.  This cockroach gloats when it is winning a fight by hissing loudly like a complete maniac.

As the title tells you, this roach also has antlers for some unholy reason.  Well, it probably has antlers to assist in its aggressive activities towards other roaches and bugs, or this roach is aggressive because it has sharp antlers–who knows?  But scientists do know that this roach tends to hiss louder if it happens to be winning a fight, whereas the loser will let out a hiss that is not nearly as loud, apparently to alert other cockroaches that it can easily be beaten up.

This roach also uses its hissing abilities as a mating call.  But what is most unique about this particular roach is its ability to produce this horrible hissing sound through its respiratory system, which no other roaches are capable.  This ability is also exceptionally rare in the insect community, as producing sounds via the respiratory system is often a vertebrae feature.

Have you ever witnessed a hissing cockroach? What would you do if a cockroach hissed at you?