Chrome Cockroach vs Exploding Ant
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Chrome Cockroach | Exploding Ant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Gyna caffrorum | Colobopsis explodens |
| Order | Blattodea | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Blaberidae | Formicidae |
| Size | 20-28 mm | 4-6 mm |
| Habitat | Forests | Forests |
| Diet | Fruit Feeders | Fungus Feeders |
| Regions | South Africa, Mozambique | Asia |
| Conservation | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
Chrome Cockroach
A small cockroach with a uniquely translucent, chrome-like pronotum. Nymphs are dark and burrowing while adults are agile fliers.
Did You Know?
The see-through pronotum of the adult gives it a chrome or glass-like appearance unique among cockroaches.
Exploding Ant
Minor workers can deliberately rupture their own bodies in an act of self-sacrifice, releasing a toxic sticky yellow secretion that entangles and kills attackers. Described new in 2018.
Did You Know?
When threatened, these ants literally explode — minor workers contract their abdominal muscles so violently they burst open, spraying toxic glue on attackers in a suicidal defense.