Polyzosteria mitchelli

Polyzosteria mitchelli, also known as Mitchell's diurnal cockroach [2] or the Mardi Gras cockroach, is a species of bush cockroach found in Australia. It is a diurnal species and its typical habitat is semi-arid regions of Australia's warm temperate zone.

Polyzosteria mitchelli
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Dictyoptera
Family:
Blattidae
Genus:
Polyzosteria
Species:
P. mitchelli
Binomial name
Polyzosteria mitchelli
Angas, 1847 [1]
P. mitchelli

Description

Polyzosteria mitchelli is a wingless, dorsally-flattened insect. It is typically blue and yellow in colour, and thus is one of the most strikingly coloured Australian cockroaches. It is primarily found in semi-arid areas of Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales.[3]

P. mitchelli sprays a pungent defensive fluid from glands in its abdomen when disturbed.[4]

References
  1. "species Polyzosteria mitchelli Angas, 1847". Cockroach Species File. Retrieved 2015-08-13.
  2. "R5574 Native Australian cockroach". NSW Department of Education and Training.
  3. "Esperance Fauna".
  4. George Beccaloni (Curator of cockroaches etc., The Natural History Museum, London). "Cockroaches: An amazing diversity".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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