hissing cockroaches

Noisy Madagascar bugs

Hissing cockroaches are large insects native to Madagascar, notable for producing a distinctive hissing sound by forcing air through breathing holes.

Unlike most cockroaches, they're wingless and relatively slow-moving.

Their docile nature and dramatic size make them popular as exotic pets and in educational settings: The kids were fascinated by the hissing cockroaches at the science museum.

Related

creepy crawly · courtship behavior · handleable · gentle giant · mating · nocturnal · detritivore · terrarium · exotic · arthropod · spiracles · live-bearing · defensive · enclosure · insect · leaf litter · educational tool · rainforest

Opposites
sound production in insects

hissing cockroachesGerman cockroaches

Common household insect pest

American cockroaches · cicadas

pet appeal/desirability

hissing cockroachespuppies

Young dogs

kittens · hamsters · rabbits · guinea pigs · butterflies

human reaction/cultural perception

hissing cockroachesbutterflies

Fluttering insects or nervousness

ladybugs · fireflies · monarch butterflies · honeybees · dragonflies

Family

hissing, cockroaches, hiss, hisses, hissed, cockroach, cock, roach, roaches

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G