Cockroaches share the same lineage as termites and split from them only recently in evolutionary terms. Their flat, oval bodies and long, threadlike antennae let them slip through cracks and survive in tight spaces. Most species feed as omnivorous scavengers, breaking down dead leaves, fungi, and animal matter on the forest floor.

The handful of pest species we know from kitchens represents only a small fraction of the order's roughly 4,500 described species, most of which live quiet lives in the tropics.