The giant insects were allegedly being bred for the reptile food market despite strict laws banning the import, sale and breeding of the species.
Over 100,000 live cockroaches were confiscated from a lone breeder dubbed the ‘cockroach kingpin’, marking one of the largest seizures of exotic invertebrates to date.
The stomach-churning stash included Madagascar hissing cockroaches and Dubia cockroaches. The bugs valued at a staggering 200,000 Australian dollars (£106,000) were seized in May in the city of Bathurst in New South Wales State, Australia. Measuring between 5 to 8 centimetres long, the Madagascar hissing cockroach ranks among the largest species of its kind.
In contrast to the typical Australian cockroach, which generally reaches lengths of 2.3 to 3.6 centimetres, this species is significantly larger. Photos released by the department showed one of the shiny, brown invertebrates larger than a person’s finger.
The larger exotic species were likely being sold as as a cost-effective reptile food because their large size meant fewer insects were needed, Bathurst snake catcher Stefanie Lesser told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Urging officials to advise pet owners to seek out crickets or wood roaches to feed their lizards instead.
“People do have them because they are big, they’re sort of like the size of your palm of your hand,” she said. “They probably are cost-effective, rather than feeding each lizard three or four woodies, which are quite small, you could only give them one.”
But she added that the potential impact they could have if they got out was devastating. She said: “If they got out and they had a disease on them, potentially it could qipe out all the crickets… that we’ve got in Australia.
“[The crickets are] something that the birds rely on, but if they’ve also got a disease [via contact with the cockroaches], they could spread the disease and so say lizards, birds, and anything else that might eat bugs, they could then fall victim to whatever disease they might have. So it could potentially qipe out a whole lot of native animals, and that’s why having exotics and illegal pets is illegal.”
Exotic cockroaches “have not been subject to an environmental risk assessment” and they could spread disease or harm native wildlife, a statement said. According to a statement from the department, it is illegal to import, keep, breed, or sell Madagascar hissing and dubia cockroaches in Australia, regardless of how they were acquired.
With Australia’s strict biosecurity controls at the border in a bid to protect its agriculture and horticulture sectors and native wildlife from pest infestations, those smuggling in undeclared or illegal animal, insects and plant materials can be fined thousands. While no charges were given to the breeder, the cockroaches seized would be euthanised as Officials warned of prosecutions against those caught with the invertebrates.
“We’re seeing illegal breeding and trading of exotic cockroaches and we’re putting pet businesses and pet owners on notice,” a DCCEEW spokesperson said in a statement. “If you are found to possess, breed or trade exotic cockroaches such as dubia cockroaches and Madagascar hissing cockroaches, they will be seized and you could face penalties under federal law.”
