Subject: What is this bug?
Geographic location of the bug: Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico – Semi desertic weather
Date: 02/09/2018
Time: 12:03 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi, I found this dead bug inside my house, to me, looks like a cockroach or related but I am no expert at all, can you identify? Thanks
How you want your letter signed: Victor
Dear Victor,
This is a Cockroach, and it does not look to us like a species that infests homes. We found a matching image on Angelfire on a page devoted to Cockroaches kept as pets where it is identified as a Harlequin Cockroach, Neostylopyga rhombifolia, and the following information is provided: “The Harlequin roach is certainly among the neatest looking of the pet roaches and is a very quick moving medium sized species. Nymphs start out life as a plain tan color but slowly molt to become very incredible looking adults. Harlequin roaches easily scale smooth surfaces and like most other glass climbers can be controlled by petroleum jelly. This is an egg laying species and fertility is sometimes a problem. Cultures either boom or bust so it is easy to rear a lot of specimens and easy for the culture to wipe out.” The site also notes it is found in “Asia, Mexico, AZ (U.S.A.)” but the country of origin is not indicated. BugGuide has no images, but does state “Circumtropical, of Asian origin.” GotRoaches states: “The Harlequin Roach (Neostylopyga Rhombifolia) originated in Indo-Malaysia, found is the northern part of Australia is now well established in various parts of the Western Hemisphere, including Mexico where it also migrated northward, near the Arizona border, few adults were also found in South California.”