Bug Facts Series #1

IN THE NEWS
The following article was found at www.spacedaily. com

SUPER SPACE ROACHES!
Cockroaches conceived in space onboard the Russian Foton-M bio
satellite have developed faster and become hardier
than 'terrestrial' ones, a research supervisor said on Thursday. The
research team has been monitoring the cockroaches since they were
born in October. The scientists established that their limbs and
bodies grew faster.

"What is more, we have found out that the creatures... run faster
than ordinary cockroaches, and are much more energetic and
resilient," Dmitry Atyakshin said.

Cockroaches, as well as other types of insects, can give birth
several times after one impregnation, and the cockroaches that
conceived during the bio-satellite' s September 14-26 flight have
since given birth to their second and third batches of offspring.
"The second and third batches did not show these peculiarities of
growth and physiology," the scientist noted.

'Ordinary' cockroaches are already known for their extraordinary
resilience. Some species can last almost an hour without oxygen or a
month without food, and are able to withstand high doses of
radiation.

The September 14-26, 2007 flight was part of an ongoing experiment
into the effects of space flight by the Institute of Biomedical
Problems (IBMP). The creatures were sealed in special containers,
and a video camera filmed them during the flight.