Desiccation-tolerance
Guides
Bdelloidea
Bdelloid rotifers, bdelloids
Bdelloidea is a class of microscopic rotifers found in freshwater habitats worldwide, comprising over 450 described species. These organisms are distinguished by obligate parthenogenetic reproduction—no males have ever been observed—and their remarkable ability to survive extreme desiccation through anhydrobiosis. They range from 150–700 μm in length and can remain dormant for years, with documented cases of revival after 24,000 years frozen in Siberian permafrost. Bdelloids have been called 'ancient asexuals' due to their estimated 25+ million year history of asexual reproduction supported by fossil evidence.
Pycnoscelus surinamensis
Surinam cockroach, greenhouse cockroach
Pycnoscelus surinamensis is a burrowing cockroach endemic to the Indomalayan region that has become established in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Populations are almost exclusively female, reproducing parthenogenetically through multiple clonal strains. The species is a common plant pest that has been transported globally in soil of potted plants, establishing in greenhouses and other protected habitats. It completes its life cycle in approximately 135 days through four nymphal instars. The species serves as an intermediate host for the poultry parasite Oxyspirura mansoni and exhibits unique false ovoviviparous reproduction where females retain the ootheca internally for an extended period before deposition.