Bone Modification by the American Cockroach

Summary

Bone modifications by chewing insects and their larvae have been described for several families. We report extensive bone damage due to feeding of the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), a close relative of termites. Roaches were seen feeding on thawing vertebrate remains in a processing room, in which skeletons were being prepared for entry into a comparative collection. A study of roach gnawing was initiated after a number of defleshed mammal bones were discovered extensively modified. Six human skeletons that were similarly processed in a neighboring suite were also surveyed for insect damage. Gnaw marks were examined under a stereomicroscope using 10-40x magnification. A feeding experiment with housed roaches demonstrated this insect’s ability to modify bone. Locations of extensive roach feeding appeared superficially similar to small rodent gnawing, but the two agents were clearly separable under low magnification. Roach mandibular scrapings and their patterns were similar to those previously reported for termites. This study shows the widely distributed American cockroach can and will modify thin cortical bone and underlying trabeculae; and suggests this highly omnivorous species favors soft tissue and bone lipids. Significantly, roaches are potential agents of bone modification of vertebrate carcasses that decay in subaerial or shallow burials.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21805