African Stink Ant vs Lobster Cockroach

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Stink Ant Lobster Cockroach
Scientific Name Paltothyreus tarsatus Nauphoeta cinerea
Order Hymenoptera Blattodea
Family Formicidae Blaberidae
Size 15-20 mm 25-30 mm
Habitat Indoors Forests
Diet Seed Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions Sub-Saharan Africa Africa, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

African Stink Ant

A very large black ponerine ant that releases a foul-smelling secretion when disturbed. It is one of Africa's most conspicuous ground-dwelling ants with a powerful sting.

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Did You Know?

Its defensive odor is so pungent it can be smelled by humans from over a meter away.

Lobster Cockroach

A small to medium cockroach with mottled grey-brown coloring that is widely used in scientific research and as feeder insects. It communicates using pheromones.

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Did You Know?

Male lobster cockroaches establish dominance hierarchies using chemical signals, and subordinate males alter their pheromone profiles to avoid confrontation.