Hooded Cockroach vs Ant-Nest Hister Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Hooded Cockroach Ant-Nest Hister Beetle
Scientific Name Diploptera punctata Hetaerius ferrugineus
Order Blattodea Coleoptera
Family Blaberidae Histeridae
Size 20-25 mm 1.5-2.5 mm
Habitat Forests Woodlands
Diet Detritivores Detritivores
Regions Asia, Oceania Europe, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Hooded Cockroach

The only known cockroach that is truly viviparous and produces a protein-rich milk.

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Did You Know?

Its brood sac milk contains protein crystals more calorie-dense than cow milk.

Ant-Nest Hister Beetle

A tiny, reddish-brown hister beetle that lives exclusively inside ant nests. It is tolerated by its ant hosts and feeds on detritus and small arthropods.

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Did You Know?

It produces appeasement chemicals from thoracic glands that prevent ants from attacking it inside the colony.