Cristian Lucañas, an entomologist specialising in cockroaches in the Philippines, is challenging common perceptions of the insect. Lucañas, known as the "Cockroach Lord," states that household pests like German or American cockroaches do not represent the thousands of species globally.
Many cockroach species do not live near humans, instead inhabiting caves and forests where they play crucial roles in ecosystems. These roles include recycling waste into nutrients, serving as prey, dispersing seeds, and acting as pollinators.
Lucañas, a researcher at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, has described eight new Philippine cockroach species and co-described six from other countries. Some of these have been named after characters from Tolkien and Pokémon. He notes their diverse forms, colours, and behaviours, with some species resembling beetles, rolling into balls, or jumping like crickets.
In 2019, two cave-dwelling cockroach species in the Philippines, the Antipolo blind cave cockroach and Simon’s cave cockroach, were listed as endangered. Five other species were listed as vulnerable, marking the first time cockroaches were included on the list due to previously limited information.