Day 51 - Indian domino cockroach

 I saw these on two consecutive days - yesterday and today.

Do you see it, among the leaves?

Zoomed in.  Yesterday's sighting among the leaves, on the southern banks of the Adyar river.

Today, on the wet mud, after the rains, on the northern banks the Adyar river.

Did you know this is our very own cockroach?  It was first "discovered" by a British surgeon from Fort St George, and for a while referred to as the Madras cockroach - Therea petiveriana, aka, seven-spotted cockroach, domino cockroach, or Indian domino cockroach. 

 Petiver - after whom it is named, received specimens from Tranquebar and Madras, that were collected by a wide network of collectors - missionaries, ship surgeons, and traders - with whom he was in touch with.  He never did come to India, but he described and illustrated these specimens, sitting in London!  

This cockroach is from South India, and it has wings, but it cannot fly, and it is quite harmless.  However, it looks like the six-spotted ground beetle Anthia sexgutatta - which is pretty aggressive, and also sprays a chemical.  So in mimicking that beetle, our little cockroach is left unharmed by predators. 

It goes about its job, being detrivores, recycling nutrients,  breaking down organic matter in the soil, quite the little composter in the scrub.  It won't infest the kitchen, or come to stored food or garbage, quite un-roach-like!  It is a slow mover, and when attacked will also play dead, tucking in its little legs.

It loves leaf litter (I don't like that word for fallen leaves, but shall call it that for the sake of brevity and understanding) and after the rains, when the ground becomes softer, and the leaf litter gets damp, the  conditions are just right for the cockroaches to emerge from hiding, forage, and breed.  Monsoon moisture helps the females lay eggs in the soft mud.  

While they are present all year, post monsoon, there is more activity and visibility for these little seven-spotted critters.

Another Monsoon Beauty.