Cockroach Extracted from Ear in Panama

Subject: Worst sci-fi nightmare- cockroach in ear
Location: Gamboa Panama
November 8, 2015 8:49 am
While out in the woods in Panama, a bug flew past me and into my ear. It was, as you can imagine, quite painful. We drowned the ear in water, and tried to aspirate it with an aspirator. Looking under a powerful light and it seemed like it was out. Nevertheless, the next day, I went to the doctor to get it checked out. Indeed, he saw it still in there, legs, wings, etc. It had burrowed around the corner of the ear canal and out of sight before it died by drowning.
We irrigated it, bringing out half after 10 efforts. Irrigated it more, and the front finally came into reach, and was plucked out by forceps.
The roach, likely initially attracted to the light of my headlamp.
I’m curious if you know which kind of roach this is.
Best,
Real Life Chekov
PS- As the bug split in half in the extraction, I’ve sent you one photo without the bottom half, another with it (and the detached leg) in their place, and finally, a photo that shows the doctor irrigating, and the bug after it got into reach.
Signature: Real Life Chekov

Dear Real Life Chekov,
Thanks for sending us an account of your harrowing encounter with a Cockroach in Panama.  Perhaps one of our readers will be able to help you identify the species.  One of our contributors, Susan Lutz, once provided us a similar account with an insect entering her ear while filming a documentary on Headhunters in the Amazon of Ecuador.