Blaberus giganteus

Species of cockroach
Speciesbox
| taxon = Blaberus giganteus
| image = Blaberus giganteus MHNT. jpg
| authority = (Linnaeus, 1758)
| synonyms = *Blatta livida Gronovius, 1764
Sisapona marginalis Walker, 1868
Blabera mexicana Saussure, 1862
Blatta scutata Seba, 1765
Blabera stollii Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865
although others list as the maximum length. Both males and females bear paired appendages (cerci) on the last abdominal segment, but only the males have a pair of tiny hair like appendages called styli. Adults bear two pairs of wings folding back over the abdomen. The heavier females are less likely to fly. Habitat preferences include areas of high moisture and little light, such as caves, tree hollows, and cracks in rocks. The three distinct stages in their lifecycle are egg, nymph, and adult. Only adults are able to reproduce and have wings. In other instances, lower temperatures and reduced humidity can lead to delayed maturation and an increase in the number of molts.

Blaberus giganteus is a nocturnal omnivore and a scavenger, but the majority of its diet is decaying plant material. The sex pheromone is released by the female and used in attracting mates that are long distances away. Carbohydrate intake has been found to be related to male sex pheromone expression, dominance status, and attractiveness more so than protein. The three legs are classified as the leading leg, middle leg, and trailing leg and the leading and trailing leg from one side with the middle leg of the other side forms a tripod. Oxygen consumption increases with activity and is subject to rhythmical cycles of activity exhibited in cockroaches. Hemolymph is composed of water, inorganic salts, and organic compounds. Some of the organic compounds are free amino acids, and the contents vary by species in terms of which amino acids are present and their overall concentrations. The amino acids present in B. giganteus are alanine, arginine, cysteine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, leucine, proline, threonine, tyrosine, and valine. The amino acids present in greatest proportions were glutamic acid, alanine, glycine, and histidine. The overall concentration of amino acids is roughly 265 mg/100 ml of hemolymph. The presence of alanine, cysteine, glutamic acid, leucine, proline, tyrosine, and valine is shared among different species of cockroaches, such as Blattella germanica and P. americana. The presence of arginine, however, is species specific to B. giganteus.