The Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa), also known as Hissing roach or simply Hisser, is one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 2-3 inches at maturity. They are from the island of Madagascar off the African coast, where they can be found in rotting logs.

Unlike most cockroaches, they are wingless (though this is also true of some other wood-dwelling roaches). They are excellent climbers and can scale smooth glass. Males can be distinguished from females by their thicker, hairier antennae and the pronounced "horns" on the pronotum. Females carry the ootheca (egg case) internally, and release the young nymphs only after the eggs have hatched. As in some other wood roaches, the parents and offspring will commonly remain in close physical contact for extended periods of time. In captivity, these insects can live 5 years. They feed primarily on vegetable material.

Cockroaches (or simply "roaches") are insects of the order Blattaria. This name derives from the Latin word for "cockroach", blatta.

There are about 4,000 species of cockroach of which 30 species are associated with human habitations and about four species are well known as pests.Valles SM, Koehler PG, Brenner RJ. (1999) Comparative insecticide susceptibility and detoxification enzyme activities among pestiferous blattodea. Comp Biochem Physiol C Pharmacol Toxicol Endocrinol. 124(3):227-32 PMID: 10661713Schal, C & R. L. Hamilton (1990) Integrated suppression of synanthropic cockroaches. Annu. Rev. Entomol 35:521-51 PDF

Among the best-known pest species are the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, which is about 30 millimetres (1.2 in) long, the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, about 15 millimetres (½ in) long, the Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai, also about 15 millimetres (½ in) in length, and the Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis, about 25 millimetres (1 in). Tropical cockroaches are often much bigger, and extinct cockroach relatives such as the Carboniferous Archimylacris and the Permian Apthoroblattina were several times as large as these.

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Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic'), is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world, and is home to 5% of the worlds plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to Madagascar. They include the lemur infraorder of primates, the carnivorous fossa, three bird families and six baobab species.