A large cockroach thought extinct since the 1930s was just rediscovered on a small island in Australia

  • Written by: Nathan Lo, Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney
A large cockroach thought extinct since the 1930s was just rediscovered on a small island in AustraliaJustin Gilligan/DPE, Author provided

In 1887, Australian Museum scientists undertook a pioneering expedition to Lord Howe Island, a tiny patch of land off the east coast of Australia. Among their many discoveries, they recorded “a large Blatta” – a type of cockroach – under a decaying log.

This was later described as Panesthia...

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