Meeting Bugs and the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

The first actual day of class was very interesting. We did normal things at first, like discussing our readings and the video that we were assigned for homework and then casually were introduced to Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. Alive. Hissing. Six of them in all. They were being passed around the room and as anyone who read my previous post could have guessed my anxiety increased dramatically during all of this. Cockroaches (though not these types in particular) are my least favorite. ABSOLUTELY DETEST THEM. 

Photo taken by Wallace Fairvalley

As these were being passed along I learned a great deal about them. For example, I learned that only male cockroaches hiss. The hissing comes from them breathing in and out through their abdomen. I also learned that they are very good at holding onto things with their legs. Their legs are like the rough part of velcro, as Dr. Van Zandt informed me, and hold on the irregular surfaces, like the ridges of fingers, extremely well. I also learned that though these certain types of cockroaches do not spread diseases, other types in fact do and people can also be allergic to cockroaches. Needless to say, I learned a whole lot about an animal that I did not care to learn more about. It is nice knowing that the diseases these creatures carry are not extremely harmful like the flu or the bubonic plague. 

The drawing of moth antennae and head

After this adventure, we shifted class downstairs to the lab area. We were going to spend the remainder of the class looking at dead bugs under microscopes to learn more about their body features and also to look at them more intricately. This was at times gross but then became an easier task to endure. Though I stayed looking at bugs I did not have as much of a problem with, I'd say I opened my eyes a little bit more to bugs and insects. We had to illustrate a specific trait of one of the bugs we were looking at. I decided to draw a particular moth head and antennae that I looked at. Though I am not an amazing artist by any stretch of the imagination, I believe that I looked at the insect more intricately and learned a lot about moths that I did not know before. 

First off, I learned that they have scales that cover their wings and body. I was convinced that these scales were hair. They looked fuzzy and exactly like hair I have seen on other mammals. I also learned that male moths of a certain species can pick up two hormones from a female of the same species and can use their antennae to locate the female. I found this to be unbelievable and honestly pretty stinking cool. 

Overall class today was interesting and enjoyable. Hopefully the cockroaches do not find their way back in the classroom anytime soon!

Photo credit: All photos added today were taken by my except for the first picture of the Madagascar Hissing cockroach, which was taken by Wallace Fairvalley which I pulled and used from her Instagram.