Giant Burrowing Cockroach vs Lichen Moth of New Zealand

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Burrowing Cockroach Lichen Moth of New Zealand
Scientific Name Macropanesthia rhinoceros Declana floccosa
Order Blattodea Lepidoptera
Family Blaberidae Geometridae
Size 60-80 mm 35-50 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Oceania Oceania (New Zealand)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Giant Burrowing Cockroach

The worlds heaviest cockroach species at up to 35 grams and 80 mm long. Native to Australia, it digs permanent burrows up to 1 meter deep and cares for its young.

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Did You Know?

Unlike the pest cockroaches people dread, this species is a devoted parent — mothers carry live young on their backs and raise them in underground burrows for nine months.

Lichen Moth of New Zealand

A beautifully camouflaged moth endemic to New Zealand that resembles a patch of lichen when resting on bark. Both the wings and body are patterned with greens, greys, and whites that perfectly mimic lichen. It is found in native forests throughout the country.

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Did You Know?

This moth's lichen-like camouflage is so convincing that it even has raised scale tufts on its wings that mimic the three-dimensional texture of lichen.