5 Apr 2024

Critter of the Week: the Otago Alpine Cockroach

From Afternoons, 3:35 pm on 5 April 2024

Cockroaches are some of the most despised creatures on the planet. If you google 'cockroaches New Zealand' there's a good chance that more than half your search results will be about pest control.

But this week's critter, the Otago alpine cockroach (Celatoblatta quinquemaculata), isn't interested in coming inside your house. It's a native species of cockroach and is only found on the Rock and Pillar Range in Otago. Like other superhero alpine insects, the Otago alpine cockroach can survive being frozen.

Otago alpine cockroach

Otago alpine cockroach Photo: supplied via Forest and Bird