‘Leaproach’ Combines Cockroach Gross-Factor With Grasshopper Jumping
- Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:17am by
Liz Klimas
- Print »
- Email »
(Photo: Mike Picker via Wired)
This recently discovered cockroach doesn’t scurry around like its kitchen cousins. It does them one better — or maybe we should say 50 times better — with the ability to leap 50 times its own length.
Wired reports that this South African cockroach studied by zoologist Mike Picker of the University of Cape Town is the only one of the more than 4,000 cockroach species to abandon scuttling almost entirely as its primary mode of movement.
In fact, Wired notes, that the “leaproach” as it’s nicknamed can outperform grasshoppers by more than double in terms of length of leaping ability relative to body size:
To find out how the leaproach’s legs worked, the researchers set up a high-speed camera to document its every movement ([below]). Combined with microscope photographs, the videos reveal that the leaproach’s knees are crucial to its jump.
At the knee is a wad of elastic protein called resilin. When the leaproach’s leg muscles contract, the resilin coils up like a flexed rubber band and stores the energy of flexing leg muscles.
When the moment to jump arrives, the leaproach extends its legs, activating the spring-loaded knees. A fraction of a second later, it zips through the air with an acceleration 23 times greater than that of Earth’s gravity.
Check out this slo-mo footage of a leaproach jumping about a foot in length:
The researchers point out that unlike other jumping insects, the leaproach doesn’t have wings to stabilize itself, but it is an accurate jumper none the less:
[...] the leaproach spreads out its appendages like a falling skydiver, presumably to influence where it lands. Specialized antenna sockets also give the critter a more aerodynamic shape, and Picker said a pair of “extreme” bulging eyes helps them pinpoint landing spots.
“They’re extremely accurate, and they don’t just sit around,” he said. “They’re always moving, moving, moving, jumping, jumping, jumping.”
(Photo: Mike Picker via Wired)
Wired reports that leaproach, scientifically named Saltoblattella montistabularis, was discovered in 2006 but only has been recognized as a new species since 2010.
[H/T Gizmodo]
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 703 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 542 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 360 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 357 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 356 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 356 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 360 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 276 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 149 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 356 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (62)
Krutch
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:27pmThey just arrived from the area around Mercury!
Nyle
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 11:20pmOh, Crap! They’ve finally invented a better politician. Now they can create a mess and jump right out of the path of destruction. Before they had to scurry away and sometimes, the big show of justice gets them – now there is no chance.
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on December 9, 2011 at 12:54amWonderful
Report Post »MT_Headed
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:34amWhy not call it a Cockhopper? We should also cross it with a scorpion and a spider… It also should fly.
Report Post »NOT A CRAZY
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 11:01amuhhhhh……..
Report Post »3monkeysmomma
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 3:18pm…and then it could get a job answering letters at a men’s magazine!
Report Post »barnsy
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:14pmWait a minute isnt that Barny Frank’s nicname?
Report Post »idarusskie
Posted on December 9, 2011 at 5:11amthat would be ka-ka-hopper( as in cockroach)
Report Post »abbygirl1994
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:30amOh please…… what is the purpose of these?? These people are playing God and I find that disgusting.. why on earth would want to cross a cockroach with a grasshopper unless its something sinister.. God forgive them with messing with your designs.. I am sorry but IDIOTS!
Report Post »NoMarxist
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:38amNo one is playing God here.. It’s a newly discovered insect. Time to turn off the SciFi channel and actually read the articles.
Report Post »Kdoske
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 11:28amThis is one of GODS creatures. Read the article….
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 11:37amPlease read first before commenting Abby. And remember, it is better to be though dim than to open your mouth and prove it. New species are found nearly every day. It isn’t like we have mad scientists running amok releasing new roach species into the world. Although, we do have Monsanto. They’re about the closest thing to that.
Report Post »abbygirl1994
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:02pmOkay I admit I didn’t read this one.. only because I read it somewhere else yesterday and they said scientist had crossed them… I saw the picture and was disgusted.. I stand corrected.. but I did read an article yesterday that scientist had crossed them??
Report Post »762x51
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 1:03pmThe purpose of these is that they are crunchy and taste good with ketchup. Oh wait, that’s liberals, OK no purpose for these, move along.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 2:04pmabby please provide a link to the article you mentioned…. I would like to read it??
Report Post »IHATEMUSLIMS
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 4:23pmYou stupid person. Quit giving the Left ammunition against Christians. This is a natural insect. Did you miss reading comprehension class?
Report Post »JediPatriot
Posted on December 9, 2011 at 5:10amSo… What We’re all saying here… Is that after THOUSANDS of years, we have just now… discovered… a new… cockroach… The only cockroach EVER to have been mutated (evolved?) so much… A cockroach that literally incorporated another species of insect (literally) within it’s DNA… Whether or not this article says it’s “natural”, it appears that it could be man-made (more likely). South Africa has been known to ignore cloning (or gene-modification) laws before. Perhaps, this is one of those instances and the media is feeding us this garbage for us to eat up (as usual). In the military, when something didn’t make sense, it was usually a deception. On Wikipedia, there is a picture of a 40-50 million (?) year old cockroach. It looks like a cockroach.
Report Post »Note: Not sure I believe the world is 40-50 million years old. It’s still unproven.
Peace
shogun459
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:27amAaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »doc glenn
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:01amSo this is how OBAMA came about.
Report Post »sgtstubbs
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:54pmLOL until milk came out my nose……
Report Post »ares338
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:44amLovely…let’s import them….New York City needs some more residents.
Report Post »kunman
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:36amI, for one, welcome our new long-legged overlords.
Report Post »AnAmerican111
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:25am“Leaproaches”…………
Report Post »Are we talking about the tenants in the White House?
woodyl1011fl
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:13amYes and the US Senate’s leaders Reid, Durban and all the other democrat leaproaches there. Hope we exterminate them in November 2012.
Report Post »ubtaught
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:09amEvolution at work or did God do this?
Report Post »NSDQ
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:47amIsnt that kind of like asking “Who painted this painting, the brush or the artist”
Report Post »THX-1138
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 4:40pmThank You!
Report Post »South Philly Boy
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 9:05amComing soon to your local neighborhood
Report Post »Swancman
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:39amCool!!!
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:02am.
Report Post »If we could get one of those to jump on my wife & get some video. It would get a Gozillion hits on YouTube………
Johnnie5-0
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:14amIt sounds too genetically engineered. How is it that on God’s green earth we are just now hearing about jumping cockroaches that look like crickets. Sure new species are discovered all the time, but roaches are not rare and can survive in almost any climate so these roaches should be abundant in nature and not rare. Just look at any other cockroach you know of. They do not usually have a problem replicating, and are not hard to find. But again I do not know allot nor do I want to about roaches. Just show me the best way to squash em and I am learned enough.
Report Post »jespasinthru
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:21amThis bug might be rare because it jumps. Makes it more visible to birds and other predators, unlike scurrying cockroaches. And it’s not green like a grasshopper, so it lacks the advantage of camouflage. Looks like an evolutionary dead-end to me.
Report Post »JediPatriot
Posted on December 9, 2011 at 5:32am@ Johnnie5-0 – I agree with you. Genetically engineered (genegineered). Cockroaches have an unusual inability to mutate. Sure, they adapt (mostly). But what we are being asked to believe here is that these cockroaches naturally “evolved” into half crickets/grasshoppers. It doesn’t sound plausible. It sounds science fiction. And coming from South Africa… They have been known to skip over certain laws involving cloning or genegineering.
Report Post »Peace
SIG40ONDAHIP
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:09amIt’s the new mascot for the OWS !
Report Post »ginger100
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:35amYeah, the ant and the jumping grasshoppercockroach.
Report Post »SmallGovBigGuns
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:08ami heard they were voting on another mascot now.. it was between a turd sandwhich and a douche
Report Post »toomuchgovt
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:03amThis is gross, like the wild hog that has invaded our country, this thing will invade and destroy our country too. But don’t worry the eco-freaks will protect it.
Report Post »endgamer
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 6:54amLive in Florida with Giant Flying Cockroaches called Palmetto Bugs.. You’ll love em!
Report Post »sbenard
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 6:24amI’m going to have nightmares about this bug!
I lived for a year in Scottsdale, AZ, where they have horrible problems with roaches. One night, I awakened suddenly to find a roach crawling across my chest. I reflexively flung the bug across the room. It hit the wall and was smashed and fell dead on the floor. I went back to sleep. By morning, the other roaches has dismembered the dead one and carried it away. Ugh!
Report Post »Discord
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 6:10amIt’s cute!
Report Post »AzCowboy
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 5:25amI wish Obama and Co. would take a leap.
Report Post »Lillith66
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 3:38amThey are called Parktown Prawns, we have had them in South Africa for at least 20 years already…they could possibly have hitchiked on some ex pat’s luggage. They are very tough little buggers, when you step on them they do pushups under your foot. I just hope they don’t follow me to Perth…uggg!
Report Post »Lillith66
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 3:44amOk I seem to have forgotten what Parktowns look like, this little guy is actually quite sweet compared to Parkies…see link.
Report Post »http://www.google.com.au/search?q=parktown+prawns&hl=en&newwindow=1&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=uXfgTrHeMK6eiAfdkOmZBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CCsQsAQ&biw=1086&bih=908
Lillith66
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 3:50amThis is what happens when you don’t read the whole article before commenting…Tch Tch Tch!
Report Post »DeHavelle
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:22pmApparently the Parktown Prawns get surprisingly big:
http://www.melaniff.com/features/parktown_prawns/parktown_prawns1.jpg
===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle
Report Post »wbaranowski
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 1:40amNo worries, mate, they only come out every 4 years. Leap year, get it?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:29amHow long before some idiot thinks this would be a “cool” pet and imports some .. then lets them go?
Report Post »DJEyeDub
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:29amThis bug should be the new symbol or icon for the Progressive Party or the Democrats under Obama.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 4:21amor the offspring of OWS
Report Post »RodentKing
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:39amThey sort of look like Obama
Report Post »Affirmative Blaction
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:28amSo can this thing still survive a nuclear blast? Either way I bet my kittie could kill it.
Report Post »1casawizard
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:26amThey are mighty tasty fried with a little Texas Pete on em.
Report Post »grownup
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:30amThis what I will eat in the re-education camp.
Report Post »