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Tag: cockroach

  • New Cockroach Invades New York City

    New Cockroach Invades New York City

    A new species of cockroach, normally only found in Asia, has been discovered in New York City. The species known as Periplaneta japonica originated in Japan and is said to be a possible threat to the American cockroach.

    Not only do the Asian cockroaches thrive in the extreme cold, they also can survive in the typical climate for an American cockroach. “About 20 years ago colleagues of ours in Japan reared nymphs of this species and measured their tolerance to being able to survive in snow,” Rutgers insect biologist Jessica Ware said. “As the species has invaded Korea and China, there has been some confirmation that it does very well in cold climates, so it is very conceivable that it could live outdoors during winter in New York. That is in addition to its being well suited to live indoors alongside the species that already are here.”

    People are concerned that the two different species could cross-breed and create a hybrid super roach. However, a graduate student, Dominic Evangelista, working with Ware suggests that this theory is very unlikely to happen. “The male and female genitalia fit together like a lock and key that that differs by species,” said Evangelista. “So we assume that one won’t fit the other.”

    The discovery comes after an exterminator in High Line Park in New York City discovered a strange insect carcass and sent it to the University of Florida to be studied. The complete detailed research from Ware and Evangelista can be found in the Journal of Economic Entomology.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • New Cockroach Species Threatens American Cockroaches

    Watch out everyone, there’s a new cockroach in town and it doesn’t mind the cold. A new species of cockroach called Periplaneta japonica has found its way to New York and it has adapted to survive the cold New York winters putting native cockroaches at risk.

    The new cockroach species is native to Japan, but has recently migrated to the United States. It is not uncommon for insects to travel to different countries in boxes and other transported items. Once a few are able to establish themselves, the species can take over and in some cases, threaten the native species.

    The different species will compete for food and shelter and if necessary, will fight and try to destroy each other to improve the survival of their own species. Another possibility is that the two species would interbreed and create a hybrid species that would inherit the traits of both species, making it harder to kill and making cockroach infestations more common and severe.

    Scientists are studying the new species and trying to determine if it will be able to survive and establish large populations within the United States. The scientists are also trying to determine how the cockroach came to the United States.

    Very few sightings of the new cockroach species have been reported, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t millions of them out there hiding somewhere.

    Image from Wikimedia Commons.

  • Robot Cockroach Produces Its Own Power

    I think we can all agree that cockroaches are pretty gross. Science has always stuck up for the disgusting vermin and are once again championing the little guys as the first step towards cyborgs.

    Science has found a way, according to MSNBC, to convert the sugars in a cockroaches belly into electricity through a fuel cell. Once fuel cells are shrunk enough to be non-invasive to cockroaches, they can be implanted to power sensors or recording devices.

    Daniel Scherson, a chemist at Case Western Reserve University, explains how the nightmare fuel will be powered. A rechargeable battery is inserted alongside a biofuel cell that would store the small amount of energy it generates.

    “If you want to be futuristic, one may use the energy stored to try to control the neurological system of the cockroach and then you might be able to (control) the cockroach (with) a joystick,” Scherson told MSNBC.

    The alarming research points to a future of cockroach spies. Controllable cockroaches scurrying around being not only disgusting, but also spy equipment from the CIA.

    Looking deeper into the research, the scientists reveal that a cockroach’s diet is the main power source behind the electricity it can generate. This makes other forms of harnessing electricity, such as through movement, obsolete.

    The fuel cell developed by the team uses a series of reactions by enzymes to break down the sugar into electricity. The first enzyme breaks down the sugar produced by the cockroach into two simpler sugars. The second enzyme oxidizes the two simple sugars. This releases electrons that are funneled together to electrodes.

    The team tested it by inserting prototype electrodes into the belly of a female cockroach. The biofeul cell 0.2 volts of electricity. While not a huge amount, it’s the first baby step to the creation of robot cockroach monsters.

    The scientists have noble goals for now with this new found technology. They hope to equip social insects like bees or ants with sensors that can detect dangerous chemicals.

    The battery operating at 0.2 volts is enough to send a message by a few inches. Theoretically, you could line up a bunch of ants and play a wicked game of telephone to spy on potential criminals.

    This does bring into question what science will do once they develop true robot cockroaches or ants that can’t be killed by radiation or big guns. The world will not end with zombies, but rather robot cockroaches. Regardless, the technology is still pretty impressive. It just terrifies me.