Diploptera punctata

Diploptera punctata, the Pacific beetle cockroach, is a species of cockroach in the family Blaberidae and subfamily Diplopterinae.[1] It is one of the few cockroach species that is viviparous. Adults are chemically defended, having a modified tracheal gland and spiracle on each side which squirts quinones which can poison or discourage a predator.[2]

Diploptera punctata
Adult in Molokai, Hawaii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Family: Blaberidae
Genus: Diploptera
Species:
D. punctata
Binomial name
Diploptera punctata
(Eschscholtz, 1822)
Synonyms
  • Blatta dytiscoides Serville, 1838
  • Diploptera silpha Saussure, 1864

Life stages

Diploptera punctata has 4 nymph stages, which are wingless. The adult is winged, and the adult male is smaller than the female.[3]

Distribution

Diploptera punctata can be found in Australia, Myanmar, China, Fiji, Hawaii, and India.

Milk

Diploptera punctata produces a nutritionally dense crystalline "milk"[4] to feed their live-born young.[5][6][7][8]

The milk produced by Diploptera punctata is composed of hydrosoluble proteins and provides essential amino acids to the developing embryo such as lysine, leucine and valine.[9]

References
  1. George Beccaloni; David C. Eades. "Diploptera punctata". Blattodea Species File. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  2. Roth, Louis M.; Stay, Barbara (1958-01-01). "The occurrence of para-quinones in some arthropods, with emphasis on the quinone-secreting tracheal glands of Diploptera punctata (Blattaria)". Journal of Insect Physiology. 1 (4): 305–318. doi:10.1016/0022-1910(58)90049-0.
  3. Marchal, Elisabeth; Hult, Ekaterina F.; Huang, Juan; Stay, Barbara; Tobe, Stephen S. (2013-07-01). "Diploptera punctata as a model for studying the endocrinology of arthropod reproduction and development". General and Comparative Endocrinology. 26th Conference of European Comparative Endocrinologists (CECE). 188: 85–93. doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.04.018. ISSN 0016-6480. PMID 23644152.
  4. Williford, Anna; Stay, Barbara; Bhattacharya, Debashish (2004-03-01). "Evolution of a novel function: nutritive milk in the viviparous cockroach, Diploptera punctata". Evolution & Development. 6 (2): 67–77. doi:10.1111/j.1525-142X.2004.04012.x. ISSN 1525-142X. PMID 15009119. S2CID 31048064.
  5. Banerjee, Sanchari; Coussens, Nathan; Gallat, François-Xavier; et al. (July 2016). "Structure of a heterogeneous, glycosylated, lipid-bound, in vivo-grown protein crystal at atomic resolution from the viviparous cockroach Diploptera punctata". IUCrJ. 3 (4): 282–293. doi:10.1107/S2052252516008903. PMC 4937783. PMID 27437115.
  6. Kumar, Chethan (2016-07-19). "Pesky cockroaches give scientists some high-protein food for thought". Times of India. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  7. Guarino, Ben (2016-07-26). "The case for cockroach milk: The next superfood?". Washington Post. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  8. "Cockroach milk is not the next superfood. It could be a lot more important than that". 31 July 2016.
  9. Ayayee, Paul A.; Keeney, George; Sabree, Zakee L.; Muñoz-Garcia, Agustí (2017-06-01). "Compositional differences among female-associated and embryo-associated microbiota of the viviparous Pacific Beetle cockroach, Diploptera punctata". FEMS Microbiology Ecology. 93 (6). doi:10.1093/femsec/fix052. ISSN 1574-6941. PMID 28431082.


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