Cockroaches might be ugly, they might be among the most loathed creatures on the planet, but at least they have personality, scientists say.
Researchers studying the behavior of the insects have discovered that far from simply being a homogenous mass, they have individual character traits.
Scientists observed the character traits as they studied the way the “gregarious insect” seeks shelter when they come out into the open.
Photo: Reuters
If they had the same personalities, they would all behave exactly the same when in the open, but observations have revealed clear differences.
Universite libre de Bruxelles researcher Isaac Planas Sitja said: “We have categorized the observed personalities. We call them ‘shy or cautious’ and ‘bold or explorers.’”
“Shy individuals are those that spend more time sheltered and explore less the arena or the surroundings. Instead, bold individuals are those that spend most part of the time exploring the surroundings and spend less time sheltered,” he said.
In a statement summarizing their findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the research team said: “From studying the way they find shelter, we show that individuals have consistent behavior, which can differ between individuals in a group — cockroaches have personalities.”
Different personalities are thought to help the survival of the species, because by driving different behavior, it increases the chances of at least some surviving when disaster strikes.
The personalities of individuals can also, the team found, affect the behavior of groups of cockroaches.
Cockroaches used in the tests were measured for the speed with which they found shelter and the time they spent exploring and seeking out new supplies of food.
In their natural environment, the differences in personality could improve the chances of adventurous cockroaches finding extra food, but simultaneously increase their chances of being preyed upon.
For the experiments, researchers attached radio tags to American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana, to monitor their movements.
They were kept in darkness during the experiments and were released in batches of 16 in “arenas” surrounded by electrified wires to prevent escapes.
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