The death's head cockroach (Blaberus craniifer) is a species of cockroach belonging to the family Blaberidae. It is often confused with the discoid cockroach, Blaberus discoidalis, due to its similar appearance. It is distinguished by jet black cloak-like marking on its wings and a skull-shaped, amber/black marking on its pronotum. The name death's head comes from the markings on the top of the pronotum: "cranii", which is Latin for "of the head", and "fer", meaning "carry" or "carrier". Due to their unique appearance and certain characteristics, they make an easy to care for pet or display insect for entomologists and hobbyists. Distribution and habitat B. craniifer is native to Mexico, the West Indies, and Central America. It has also been introduced into southern Florida in the United States. They can be found on forest floors, hiding in leaf matter and rotting wood. Diet and predators In their native habitats, B. craniifer will feed on any organic food source available, including leaf matter. In captivity, it is recommended they are provided foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, wet dog food and moist cereal. B. craniifer is potential prey for both invertebrates, such as spiders, mantids, centipedes, and parasitoid wasps, and vertebrate insectivorous animals, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Behaviour In response to a predator approaching or after an attack, B. craniifer burrows itself into softer substrates when possible, using its head and pronotum, allowing the cockroach to hide. Cockroaches are gregarious insects, meaning they often interact and associate with one another. B. craniifer secretes a volatile aggregative pheromone from the mandibular glands when engaging in gregarious behaviour. Physiology Adults of B. craniifer have wings that possess pink flight muscles capable of supporting sustained flight. However, they generally only glide short distances. Juveniles lack wings and prefer to burrow. Cockroaches, including B. craniifer, are known to possess independent pulsatile circulatory organs within their antennae, also known as an antennal heart. It has been found that B. craniifer is capable of regenerating some of its tissues. B.craniifer can regenerate more proximal tissues and structures in a more distal amputation level on its leg after a distal part of the femur foreleg was transplanted to a proximal level of a hindleg tibia. This discovery concluded then that some insects are capable of regenerating certain tissues, and the most frequent type of regeneration in B. craniifer is intercalary regeneration. Reproduction and sexual dimorphism