Cockroaches' Creative Adaptations to Survive Human Threats
German cockroaches have developed a "sensory conflict" called glucose aversion to avoid insecticides that use glucose to attract and kill them. However, glucose is also a key component in the mating process, as male roaches offer females a sugary secretion called maltose during courtship. To overcome this issue, male roaches have started producing more maltotriose, which is more resistant to glucose aversion, and they also start the mating process faster before the female can leave. Scientists say this is an example of compensatory behavioral evolution and that the origin of the trait is likely due to human imposition, such as insecticide bait.