Caribbean-diversity
Guides
Eurycotis
Eurycotis is a genus of cockroaches in the family Blattidae, distributed across the Americas from the southern United States through Central America to South America. Members possess a distinctive defensive capability: both sexes harbor large abdominal glands that secrete a milky, acidic fluid when threatened, which can be released as an oozing liquid or projected as a spray up to three feet. The genus includes at least 20 species in Cuba alone, with Eurycotis floridana being the most extensively studied species. Research on E. floridana has documented detailed mating behaviors involving spermatophore transfer and courtship rituals.