Ologies with Alie Ward Blattodeology (YES, COCKROACHES) with Dominic Evangelista
31 snips
Oct 15, 2025 Dr. Dominic Evangelista, an entomologist and cockroach specialist at the University of Illinois, dives into the fascinating world of these often-misunderstood insects. He discusses the stunning diversity of cockroach species, from colorful varieties to their surprising parental care behaviors. Learn about their unique mating rituals involving 'gifts,' their impressive survival skills, and why they are more complex than we think. Dominic even shares how we might reframe our perceptions of cockroaches—and perhaps even learn to love them!
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Cockroach Diversity Is Mostly Wild
- Most cockroach diversity lives in tropical rainforests, deserts, and grasslands, not kitchens.
- Only about 10–20 species commonly cohabit with humans out of thousands worldwide.
Termites Are Eusocial Cockroaches
- Termites are actually nested within cockroach evolution and are now considered social cockroaches.
- Other cockroaches show a range of sociality from solitary to subsocial parental care.
Key Anatomical And Symbiotic Traits
- Cockroaches are defined by features like a leathery egg case, flat oval bodies, and a pronotum 'awning' that hides the head.
- They also house endosymbiotic bacteria within their fat cells crucial to their biology.
